Ashton In Wonderland
by Ashton Lithe
Summary: A normal girl finds herself mixed up with wacky characters, including the famous Alice from myths.  Can she stop the world from being ruled by the three Queens?  Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own _Alice in Wonderland_. This is just a child of my screwed up brain. I do, however, own Ashton and all of the events that happen in this story. I give thanks to the late Lewis Carroll for giving me the inspiration to warp his characters to fit my needs. (Disclaimer pertains to the rest of the chapters)

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I stared out across the school yard. It was May, a good month of the year. Spring was starting to change into summer, and school was almost out. Kids were starting to get excited about summer, making plans and chatting about what they wanted to do.

My pencil was poised above my sketch pad. I had spaced out while sketching one of the weeping willows. I blinked and glanced at the paper. It looked nice, except for the fact that there was a white rabbit looking at a watch near the base of the tree. My eyes slid back over to the real tree, and I saw no rabbit. There was, however, a thin girl glancing at a pocket watch. She had snowy white hair with white rabbit ears. She turned around, looking for someone. A soft white rabbit tail contrasted with her black skirt. I rubbed my eyes, but it was still there. I stood up and hurried out of the classroom. It was lunch, no one would notice.

By the time I got to the school yard, the girl was gone. I spun around, looking for her. She had just disappeared. All of the students seemed frozen. I tapped a few on the shoulder, but they didn't move.

"Guys? This isn't funny!" I cried, biting my lip. Something moved just on the edge of my vision, catching my attention. I whipped my head around and saw a flash of pink and purple just as it darted behind the tree.

"Hello?" I called out, placing a hand on the bark.

"You should hello yourself." A voice said from behind me. I jumped and looked at the new comer. It was a guy, with sort of shaggy black hair. His green eyes were penetrating as he stared at me. A wide grin was plastered on his face, reminding me of Ichimaru from Bleach. A pink and purple cat tail swished around his long legs.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice quivering slightly.

"You are who?" He replied, bending at the waist. He looked me up and down. His pupils shrank, becoming like a cat's. I whimpered and took a step back. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." He said, straightening. "But, I'm not you, so continue."

"I don't need your permission." I spat. His smile faltered for a second.

"I wouldn't be so sure." He looked around. "I wonder where she went…" He turned around and around, looking for something. "Did she already leave…?" Musing to himself, he examined the students that were frozen.

After watching him for a while, I gathered up the courage.

"What's your name?" I asked, my voice slightly stronger. He jumped when I spoke. It reminded me of a cat.

"Shire." He replied, blushing lightly. "If you'll excuse me, Ashton, I have to find a certain person."

"How did you know my name?" Shire rolled his eyes.

"Have you ever read the book _Alice in Wonderland_, or _Through The Looking Glass_?" He asked, looking down on me. I nodded.

"Of course. I love them."

"Then you'll remember Lewis Carroll's character that he based off of me." With a curt nod, he waved his hand. A black top hat appeared and he placed it on his head. "If you'll excuse me."

"Wait!" I called out, just as he began to walk around the large tree. "You're basically saying that Wonderland is real?" Shire sighed.

"It's always the same thing…." He muttered. His back was turned, so I couldn't tell if his smile was wiped off of his face. "Every time…" I blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"You hate your world, don't you? You believe that no one loves you, and that your life is boooring." Shire glanced over his shoulder. His green eyes were as bright as his smile. "Answer me this question. Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?" I blinked. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance." I said after a while. It shocked me as much as it did Shire. His green eyes stared through me.

"Oh, my ears and whiskers!" A female voice cried. "Shire! Are you there?" The new voice shocked Shire out of his trance.

"I'm here." He yelled. He took a step backward, tipped his hat and grinned at me. That was it. He began to melt through the ground.

"No!" I cried. I lunged after him, and just barely brushed the tip of his hat. "Take me with you…" I whispered. I was still in the school yard, surrounded by the frozen students. I closed my eyes, wishing that I was in Wonderland, away from all of this. I opened them after a moment, but saw nothing had changed. Sighing, I stood up. Every one was frozen, and I had no idea how long they would stay like that. I walked back into the school and into my class room. I glanced at the mirror that my teacher had hanging on the closet door. It seemed to be rippling. I shook my head, feeling my nose start to tingle.

"Don't cry, you. It's no use." My hands balled into fists. "Great…. I give myself advice, and it's good advice, but I never listen to it!" I glared at the mirror as I picked up my sketch book. Out of anger, I threw it at the silvery surface. It hit it, and melted into it. One of my pictures, a gryphon, seemed to grow on it. It developed dimension, and poked it's head out.

"Come with me." It said, melting away. "But I hope you can swim…" The voice faded as I stared. The mirror was still rippling.

"Well, this is one of the most stupidest things I've ever done, but hey." I mused, taking a few steps closer to it. I gently placed a hand on the surface, and it slipped through. _Just like water…_ I thought, pushing more of my arm through it. I was up to my elbow now. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my way through, letting it mold around me.

Cold. My movement was slow. I glanced around. Everything was in a silvery light, draining the objects of color. I was floating in a lake, a moon high over head. As I watched, people started to stand from the water. I continued to watch, amazed by what was happening. They weren't people, per say, but people with animal like features. There was a small boy with mouse ears, and a large man with a coat that was made out of feathers. He was wearing a mask that had a dodo beak on it.

I began to swim to shore, and the people followed. It was actually sort of creepy. None of them talked, and their eyes were vacant. They moved as if they were in a dream. The man with the dodo mask joined me on shore. I looked into his eyes. They were the pale blue that only the dead got. He raised his arm, showing me that he had a cane.

_He sure does act like a dodo._ I thought, watching as he turned to the rest of the people. They lined up and began to walk, keeping their eyes trained on him. It took a moment, but eventually they began to sing.

"Imagine a place you can always escape to, an island off the coast of nowhere. A new destination of your own creation, just waiting till you choose to go there." It took me off guard. The voices sounded haunted, like they were on the verge of losing their sanity. I glanced behind me, looking for a way to escape. There was a large forest that framed the lake. I decided that it was the best place to hide from the dead animal-people.

I hid behind a tree, still listening to the haunting song. It sent shivers down my spine. I began to walk, looking around at the trees. It took me a while to realize that I was drenched with water.

"So much for my uniform." I murmured. "Bet there's no place for me to change, either." I continued on my way, keeping an eye out for a house or inn or something.

I don't know how long I was walking, but I finally found a large house. It was made out of glass and mirrors. It struck me as odd, but I decided that everything here was odd. I opened the door and stepped inside.

The first room was large and held only a small table and a mannequin. A blue dress was fitted on the mannequin. It was nice, and looked like it would fit me. Shrugging, I slid it off of the pale figurine and quickly changed.

The dress hung down to my knees, hugging my waist and my chest. I could still move around in it, so it wasn't all that bad. I turned and looked at the table. There was something off about it. Sitting on it was a large bottle of wine, and a small goblet.

"Alright, those were not there when I got here." I said to myself, examining the bottle. A tag that read 'Drink Me' hung off of the neck.

"Go ahead, drink it." A familiar voice said. Shire half appeared in front of me. I blinked, slightly surprised to see him here. "You found your way here. You'll have to find your way out." He over pronounced the _t_ in out, making it sound a lot sharper than it usually was.

"Why won't you help me?" I asked. Shire's grin just got wider.

"_If I or she should chance to be _

_ Involved in this affair,_

_ He trusts to you to set them free,_

_ Exactly as we were._" He said. I was confused. "You'll understand it in time." Shire stated. I looked at him. His top hat was gone, revealing cat ears. His hair almost hid them, but not quite. One was purple, while the other was pink. His body slowly began to disappear, leaving me staring at his head before long.

"Drink up." He popped the _p_, just as he disappeared completely. I looked at the bottle and hesitated. Alice had drunk the tea, and she had shrunk. What if it was poisoned? I shook my head, chasing the thoughts away.

"If this really is Wonderland, then I'll just shrink, and be a part of it." I muttered. Taking a deep breath, I pulled the cork out.

The bottle was cool against my lips. The liquid inside of it tasted like a bunch of different things. Before I could stop myself, I drank the entire thing, right out of the bottle. A strange tingling sensation ran down my spine.

In an instant, my head felt like it was splitting open. I screamed and dropped to my knees, the pain immense. It stayed with me for what seemed like an eternity. Hot tears ran down my cheeks. I had no idea what was happening to me.


	2. Chapter 2

The pain finally subsided into a dull throb. When I opened my eyes, everything was towering above me. The bottle was in fragments that were as big as me, scattered around the edge of the table. I looked around.

"This is new…" I muttered.

"Oh, my fur and whiskers!" A familiar voice said. I glanced behind me. The girl that I saw earlier was running towards a small archway. I began to run after her, maneuvering around the broken glass.

"Hey! Wait!" I called. She glanced over her shoulder. Her red eyes widened, her gait increased.

"I'm late!" She said. "No time to say hello or goodbye!" Her long legs carried her through the arch, leaving me alone. I slowed to a walk, and then stopped completely. I could see another forest through the arch. I moaned and slumped to the ground.

"No. This is insane. I'm going to stop, right now." I told myself sternly. A quick glance told me that the forest held beautiful flowers, and a path. Against my own advice, I stood back up. I forced myself to walk through the arch, focusing on the forest beyond.

I had no idea how long I had been walking. Strange birds and creatures sung and chattered, while flowers held conversations about me. There was no draining moon, like there had been outside of the house. Instead, a sun shone high in the sky, giving the forest wonderful color.

Eventually, the path branched off in several different directions. I blinked and examined the signs. One read 'Caterpillar', while the others said 'Tea Party' and 'Castle of Hearts'. They all had a little picture to go along with it.

"Man, why do I get stuck with the decisions?"

"You decided to follow." Shire replied, appearing on a branch above my head.

"You!"

"Me!" He mocked, rolling his eyes. "I'll give you a riddle."

"No." I cut the word off quickly, shocking him. "I don't want any more of your riddles. I just want to get a straight answer for once." Shire flushed. His jaw began to work, like he was trying to form words, but couldn't.

"Cat got your tongue?" I asked, getting fed up.

"If advice is what you want, head to the west. A good time what you need? Keep going straight." He replied, glaring at me. "If you've got a very important date, which I doubt, head east, to the most important place here. If a straight answer is what you want, then ask again."

"Ugh!" I groaned and kicked the tree. "Why? Why me?" I yelled, tears blinding me. "I could never get someone to challenge me back in reality, why do I get people that won't help me here?" Shire blinked, shocked at my sudden change. "Just take me away from here! It makes me feel so-"

"Baby, baby, here we all are crazy. So, follow me." He dropped down from his branch. "Just, no tears…" He murmured, wiping one away. He wore fingerless gloves that clashed with his outfit. We began to walk down the path to the tea party, when Shire heard something I didn't.

"Quick! Go to Caterpillar!" He said, pushing me off of the path. "Just do it!" I stumbled, looking at him. "Run!" He ordered. I glanced behind me, making sure that there was a path there. I stepped onto it and began to run, wondering why I was doing it.

The trees draped down around the path, making a tunnel. At the end, a curtain of vines hung down. I pushed past them, bursting out into a clearing. Lots of mushrooms grew around me, ranging in size. Sitting on the largest one, in the middle, was a tall woman, smoking a large pipe. Haze distorted the view surrounding her.

"Excuse me, are you Caterpillar?" I asked, timid. I had a bad instinct against smokers.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice languid and throaty.

"Ashton." I replied, taking a cautious step forward. "Shire said to come meet you." At the mention of his name, she straightened and leaned forward, through the smog.

Caterpillar was pretty. She had curling blue hair and pale skin, with green eyes. She was extremely tall, and wore what a harem girl from the Middle East would wear. It looked good on her.

"Oh, really now?" She looked me over, her green eyes peering at me over the edge of her pipe. "So it is true…" She murmured.

"Look, all I know is that Shire told me to come here. It would be nice to just get straight answers for once, but I doubt that's going to happen." Caterpillar nodded.

"Shire sent you…" She murmured. I nodded.

"Yeah. Now, will you please answer my questions, so I can get home?" Caterpillar looked at me like I was high.

"Home? You're already there." I let out a long groan.

"No, I'm not."

"Then where are you?"

"In-" I started. I sighed and slumped. "I don't know…"

"Then you must be home." She stated, lounging on the large mushroom. "But if you doubt me, speak with the Queens, they rule everything here. And you, my child, are just a pawn."

"How can there be more than one queen?" I asked, confused.

"Red and white, and Queen of Cards, all rule in peace. Personalities are balanced, but none of them give a lease." She took a long drag on her pipe, giving me a look. "One controls the looking glass, from which you did pass. Two control the fields and forests beyond this part." Another long draw, and she looked away from me. Silence filled the air between us.

"Is that all?" I asked, after a few minutes. She looked at me as if I was new.

"All that there is? No." She closed her eyes and inhaled. "I smell Shire. Time for you to go." Caterpillar leaned forward and blew a large cloud of smoke in my face. I started to cough, closing my eyes and looking away. After I had my lungs cleared, I looked to find that she was gone.

"Ashton!" Shire yelled, bursting through the forest. "There you are." His face looked grim.

"Shire? What's wrong?" He looked at me, realized that he was distraught, and placed the wide smile on his face again.

"Nothing. I just got summoned to court, that's all. I asked Hatter to keep an eye on you, while I'm gone." His tail swished at the name. "Try not to drink anything while you're there. Or eat anything… He heard a rumor that you had arrived, and has been preparing ever since."

"Shire, can I ask you something?" He blinked, his smile dropping for a second. "You've been real nice and everything, but you keep eluding to a fact that I'm a chosen one or something. Can you just tell me about that?" His mouth began to work again, like it had before I had met Caterpillar. He grimaced.

"The answers that you seek can't be found by looking for them. Look around, observe the surroundings. Talk to people and see what they think… Hatter should be able to give you some answers." He spat the name out, as if it was poisoned. I cringed at his tone.

"You can't give straight answers. You try to, but something stops you…" Shire blushed and looked away.

"I've said more than enough to answer your question. Any additional information will have to cost you." There was a sudden change in him. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was there.

"Shire… Just what would it cost me…?" I asked, glancing up at him. His green eyes looked into mine, and he bit his lip.

"Cannot say…. The Queen has made it so." His face paled as one hand flew up to his mouth.

"Which Queen?"

"Red, White, and Queen of Cards, all rulers of the land, I did land into their bad hand. A curse upon me they did throw, until true love doth grow." The rhymes flew from his mouth, challenging me to keep up with them. "A girl from the Other, and a kiss that could smother. A hate from Hell itself, and the girl torn between two. She will be a savior, for one or more kingdoms, but she might leave too soon. 'Keep her here until the battle is done,' my orders were, and upon them I did swore. Now the orders are gone, but I am still a pawn." He finished, looking at the ground.

"I'm the girl from the Other, aren't I?"

"Ashton, I have to go… The Queens shall off my head if I am late." His eyes were down cast. "Stay on the trail, and head straight to Hatter's Tea Party… Try not to drink or eat anything." He began to disappear.

"Wait!" I cried. He began to disappear faster. "Shire, hold on!" But he didn't. With one sad look, he disappeared completely. I screamed, confused and frustrated. "WHY?" I yelled, kicking one of the mushrooms. "Why me? Why do I have to be this girl from the Other, the one that will break Shire's curse? Why are people that I don't even know fighting over me?" Tears blinded me once again. "I'm sick of crying, sick of trying! On the outside, I'm not smiling, and on the inside, I'm dying…" I muttered as hot tears ran down my cheeks.

"Some advice would be nice…" I murmured, kicking branches out of my way as I stepped back on to the path. "Be patient is very good advice… But the more I wait, the curiouser I get…" I continued to talk to myself as I reached the cross roads. I turned onto the road that pointed North, and heard lilting music. It sounded nice, as if someone was playing a flute and tapping a glass. It was almost entrancing.

I reached a small wooden gate and a large bush fence. I leaned over the edge of the gate, trying to take in the view of the large table. A lot of chairs were set up around it, but I could only see three people. There was a girl that looked quite a bit like the White Rabbit, but this one looked a bit more crazed. A small sleepy boy with mouse ears leaned on the table, and a tall good looking man poured tea. The lilting music continued to play from everywhere.

"Excuse me," I said, cautiously. The man pouring the tea looked up. His face was slightly angular, and he had shaggy white blonde hair.

"Welcome!" He said happily. "You must be Ashton. Shire told me you were coming." He put the tea pot down and made his way to the gate. His light brown eyes were shining with some sort of mischief. He opened the gate. "I'm Hatter, as many people fondly call me." With a gracious bow, he motioned me inside. "I see that you didn't RSVP, but that's okay. Don't expect to be a VIP, though." I felt comfortable around him. I found myself grinning right along with him.

"My friend there is March, and the sleeping one is Dormouse." The small boy muttered in his sleep, and March waved at me.

"Have some tea?" She asked, offering me a cup.

"That's okay… I'm not really that thirsty." Hatter offered me a plate.

"Then how about some sweets, for a very sweet girl?" I shook my head.

"No thanks..." He looked slightly hurt.

"Shire told you not to eat anything, didn't he?" Hatter sniffled a little, but I knew that it was probably crocodile tears.

"Actually, he did…" Hatter scowled at the news.

"Of course. That little kitten has always been trying to stop me from breaking my curse."

"What's with all of the curses?" I asked, curious about it. Hatter grinned and pulled out a chair for me.

"Sit, and I'll tell you the tale." I took the seat hesitantly. Hatter lounged in the head chair, sipping from a dainty tea cup.

"Shire and I used to be best friends. We came from the same kingdom, you know. We traveled here together, but our arrival wasn't approved by the Queens." Another sip. "Shire was cursed to never tell a straight answer, until he found true love with a girl from the Other. After a passionate smooch, he would be free of his curse." Hatter's brown eyes darkened. "The Queens cursed me to challenge him to everything, eternally separating our friendship. They also cursed me to fall in love with, or at least lust after, any girl from the Other that happened to find this realm."

"So, what about the savior for one or more kingdoms? I don't get that part." I admitted. March spoke up.

"There's a war going on, between the kingdoms of Wonderland." She stated, stirring a lot of sugar into her tea. "To start, you have this section, Cardly Forest. It's part of the Queen of Cards domain. Then you have Chessboard Meadow, where the Red and White Queens rule. Those are the main two parts."

"And…then…you…have…mhslfweds…" Dormouse murmured.

"What he means is, then you have the minor areas." March translated.

"Shire and I came from Rhymier, where he was of noble blood." Hatter chimed in. "I was just a lowly servant boy, serving his family the best tea in that part." He shrugged, a dainty gesture.

"Shire said something about him keeping me here until the battle was over…What does that mean?" Hatter and March glanced at each other.

"Well…" She started. Hatter picked it up.

"A war is going on, as you know. It is said that a girl from the Other, like Alice, would be the key to that battle. Shire, after he was cursed, became a pawn to the Queens, which is why he's so damn angsty. They told him that the next girl that stumbled down here, he was to distract and lure into the battle." Hatter placed his tea cup down. "But after a while, the Queens lost their faith in him."

"They withdrew the orders, but kept him as a pawn. Now, the Queen of Cards is throwing a fit, because someone stole her tarts." March rolled her eyes. "She always does this when there's something important going on. I'm waiting for us to get called to court. Hopefully, the cat won't have our tongues."

"CAT?" Dormouse screamed, bolting up right. Hatter sighed.

"Good going, March. Get the jam." He murmured. March lunged across the table for a jar that was sitting by me. She grabbed it while Hatter held Dormouse still.

"Come on, old buddy, hold still." Hatter growled, pinning him to the table. March spooned out a glob of jam and shoved the spoon into his mouth. After a moment of struggling, Dormouse settled and fell back into a peaceful sleep.

"What was that all about?" I asked, confused even more.

"You can't use the 'c' word around him. It upsets him terribly." March explained, putting the jam down. "We don't know why jam calms him down, but it does."

"Don't question things that work." Hatter stated, slumping into a chair. March looked at the sky.

"It's getting late… I should be getting home now… I'll take Dormouse with me. Until tomorrow, Hatter." She gave a little curtsy and picked the sleeping boy up. She made her way out of the yard, heading down the path. Hatter smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"And now it is down to me, and down to you." He laced his fingers over his stomach. "Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?" I nodded.

"Quite sure." Hatter pouted.

"I have some black spice chai that won't take long to brew." He tempted. My stomach growled, and I blushed.

"Well…maybe…" He nodded.

"Wait here, I'll get it steeping and bring out some fresh goodies." I nodded, looking around. Hatter slipped into his house while I took in the view.

Although it seemed impossible, you could see a large meadow with different shaded squares past his house. Small rivers crisscrossed, dividing the meadow up.

"That must be where the Red and White Queen rule…" I said, scanning the rest of the area. Out on the horizon, I could see a large castle. "And that must be where they all live. I hope Shire's okay." My brow furrowed with worry. The sun was setting behind the castle, making the sky become a beautiful red.

"The sun sets red for the Red Queen. When it rises, the sky becomes a creamy white, for the White Queen. It's hard to notice, but the clouds are in the shapes of the card suites, for the Queen of Cards." Hatter said, placing fresh tea and desserts on the table.

"So, it's a balance?" I asked. Hatter nodded and sat next to me. My mind wandered back to what Hatter had told me earlier, about the curses that were given to him and Shire.

"Yeah, something like that." He murmured. His eyes slid over my body, finally ending at my eyes. His light brown eyes reminded me of a cup of tea.

"Hatter…" I murmured. Behind his mischievous eyes hid the pain of betrayal and longing. I reached a hand out and cupped his cheek. "I'll break both of your curses, and I'll stop this war." I promised.

"There's only one way to break both curses and get a happy ending for both of us. And I don't even know what that is." He whispered. He nuzzled my hand, tears shining in his eyes. I felt really sorry, and I don't know whether or not it was due to the tea or his sad story.

"Hatter, look at me." I whispered. He glanced at me, his light brown eyes full of hurt. "Please don't tell Shire." I murmured, leaning in a little. He seemed to take the hint, and our lips gently met. His lips were slightly chapped, but only enough to add texture. He drew me closer to him. His hands wrapped around my waist and neck, pressing his lips against mine in a primal fashion. A voice in my head screamed to stop, that it was wrong and that I shouldn't be doing it. Another voice told me to keep going, that this was right and that it needed to be finished.

Finally, Hatter broke for air.

"Ashton…" He murmured. His face was flushed, and I could tell that he was pretty turned on.

"I'm sorry, Hatter… I led you on… I don't know how I fit into any of this prophecy thingy of yours, or how to break your curse. God, I'm such a horrible person…" I muttered, hanging my head.

"No, you're not. Ashton, I have never been kissed like that. I know you're the girl from the prophecy, and that you'll stop this war and break both of the curses." The way he looked into my eyes told me that he really believed it. "You'll save the Queens' Domain, and all of the minor areas from the outbreak of violence." His hand found mine, and gripped it tightly. "Shire will understand, if he finds out. But for now, let's just keep that between us." I nodded, glancing up at the sky.

"Hatter, it's late. Do you mind if I stay here for the night?" He blushed, but nodded.

"I have a spare room that you can use. Come on in." He opened the door and motioned me inside.

The house was a lot warmer than the night outside. A large fire crackled and popped, making shadows jump and move. His house was small, but warm and cozy. There was an underlying hint of sadness, and it was creepy.

"Right this way." He stated, moving into a small hallway. Several rooms branched off of it. He slipped into it and grinned at me. "This is the extra room. Bathroom is right down the hall, on the right. My room is just across the hall." Hatter added. "I'll be in there if you need anything. Feel free to make yourself at home, I don't mind."

His voice was a little sad. He was doubting that I would be able to break both curses and get a happy ending for both him and Shire. I smiled at him as I closed the door to the bed room, tired beyond belief.

As I laid in the bed, I thought about the impossible that had happened to me. I had gone through a mirror, and found myself swimming in a pool of tears. A bunch of dead, or mostly dead, people had sung to me. I had been shrunken, told about two curses that I was supposed to break, given weird advice, and insulted. I kissed a guy that I didn't really know.

"This has been one long ride." I murmured, rolling onto my side and closing my eyes. "Maybe some sleep will help…"


	3. Chapter 3

"Bill! Bill!" I was woken up by a familiar voice. I looked out the window and saw the White Rabbit. She was screaming, pointing at the house. I heard footsteps come down the hall.

"Oh, boy… Ashton, dear, you might want to go now." Hatter said, opening the door a tad. "The Queens are looking for you. Rabbit is a messenger for them." I rubbed sleep from my eyes and stood up. I felt a little nauseous.

"Hatter, I don't feel so well." I said, closing my eyes to stop the room from spinning.

"Oh, no." I heard him say, right before I lost consciousness.

I woke up again on a plush bed. The room was decked out in all shades of red.

"She's up!" Someone yelled from outside the door. A few clicks, and then three women burst through the door.

"You!" One screamed. She was the plumpest of all. A red and black dress hung to her body as she pointed a short finger at me. "You stole my tarts!" She looked at the guards and then the other two queens. "Off with her head!" Her shrill voice echoed through the halls. I blinked and pulled myself out of the large bed.

"I have no idea of what you're talking about." I said. The other two queens examined me.

"She would make a nice queen."

"Alas, she is only a pawn." The fat queen glared at them.

"Have you no idea that this cur was the one to steal my tarts?" I gritted my teeth. Her voice was getting really annoying.

"Look!" I yelled, stopping their bickering. "I didn't steal anything! I have no desire to steal anything. I have no desire to be a queen, either. And I am _not_ a pawn." They all looked at me.

"My dear," One of the other queens started. She was pale, and dressed in a white gown that reached the floor. "we just need you to beat the smaller kingdoms." My fists clenched as the last queen began to speak.

"You see, we must be the only queens to rule." She was dressed fully in red, her rosy cheeks and lips looking like she had just smeared blood on them.

"I don't care. Tyrants always lead a country or kingdom to defeat. Yeah, you have to prove to them not to mess with you, but there are better ways to install fear than kicking all of them in the nuts and destroying their system." They looked at me like I was high. "Just look at Alexander the Great. He took over countries and kingdoms, but he let them live their lives without having to worry about crossing the line. They kept their customs and traditions. He ended up being one of the great conquerors."

"Alexander?" The White queen asked. I closed my eyes and counted to ten in my head, remembering that I wasn't in school, or in my own world, for that matter.

"Yes. He beat the countries, but then built them back up, telling them to keep their customs and traditions, if they would stay under his rule. He didn't force anything upon them." The queens looked at each other, and the first queen screeched.

"Never!"

"I think it's a good idea," The White queen stated.

"I'm not quite sure…" The Red queen murmured. They huddled together and began to bicker with each other again. I sighed quietly as I scooted around the three. I made my way to the hall.

"And now to find Shire." I murmured.


	4. Chapter 4

My shoes clicked quietly on the marble floor. The castle itself was rather pretty. The marble that was used for the floor and accents in the walls had white, red, and a little bit of black. I could make out some of the suits of cards if I looked hard enough.

The paintings that hung on the walls were of past rulers, great soldiers, with the occasional landscape tossed in.

I looked in every door that was open, but couldn't find Shire. Eventually, the hall split off in two different directions.

"Aw, man!" I stamped my foot, not knowing where to go. I had no idea how big the castle was. I also had no idea where to start looking for Shire.

"Looking for someone?" A drawling voice came. I blinked and turned around, coming face to chest with a tall person.

"Um, actually, no… I'm trying to find the kitchen." I gave an innocent smile and looked up at the new comer.

He was tall and lanky, but not Shire lanky. There was something about him that set me off ease. His red hair was short, barely long enough to run your hand through. His irises were a calm red, sending shivers down my spine.

"Then allow me to guide you." He said, turning sharply to the left. I gulped and followed him, setting my jaw.

It was a long walk, with lots of turns and twists and stairs. Eventually, we came upon a large stone door that was shaped like a Spade.

"Here is the kitchen, young lady." I nodded my thanks and slipped through the door, making sure it was closed tightly.

The kitchen was bustling. A cook, the head one I assumed, was yelling orders at everyone else. The chefs were moving around a woman that was clutching a pig to her chest. I blinked and barely dodged a pan that had gone flying.

"Excuse me," I said to a passing chef. He was a fish, and looked at me with blank eyes. He continued on his way. I scowled and pushed my way to the lady in the middle.

She was handsome. Her face had knowing eyes and a strong nose. Her lips were set into a straight line.

"Excuse me, but do you know where they keep people for trial?" I asked, trying not to stare at the pig.

"I do, but it is improper to ask a question without introducing yourself." Mentally I sighed, kicking myself in the ass for wanting to come down here.

"I'm sorry. My name is Ashton. Now, could you please tell me where they keep people when they're going to be tried?" I asked again, becoming exasperated pretty quickly. The woman sat there, staring at her pig. I waited a few moments before asking again.

"Do not speak unless spoken to." She said curtly. I let out a moan, running a hand through my hair.

"When am I supposed to speak then? If everyone only spoke when spoken to, nobody would talk!"

"And then everybody would mind their own business and the world would go around much faster." She replied with a curt nod. My shoulders slumped as I sunk to the ground.

"Please. A close friend of mine is going to be tried when he did nothing wrong. It's unjust. All I need is directions to where they keep people who are going to be tried." She looked at me with disgust, but then her hard eyes softened.

"Take a left out of the servants door. Follow the hall until you reach the portrait of the two knights. The door on your right will take you to a hidden hall, and then to the chambers where they keep the tried." I gave an exasperated smile.

"Thank you, so much." I began to leave, when something hit me. I turned around and looked. No one was moving. The bustling kitchen had gone dead silent. Everyone was looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Going to try to break your 'friend' out?" A drawling voice said. I flinched, barely muttering a curse.

"No." I replied, not wanting to turn around.

"Then you won't mind coming with me to have an audience with the Queens." The man that had guided me down roughly grabbed my arm, and dragged me out of the kitchen.

"Lemme go!" I shouted, trying to break free of his grasp. I had heard someone call him the Knight of the Red Court. It had made me grimace.

"We do not tolerate snitches in this castle." He continued to haul me down the hall, his fingers digging into my pale skin.

After following a twisted path with lots of stairs, we made it to the Queens' Audience Chambers. He threw me towards the center of the room, ready to be criticized by the Queens.

"What do you bring us, my knight?" The Red Queen asked.

"A snitch, trying to break that cat out of the prison." The Queen of Hearts looked at me, and then tapped her scepter against the floor.

"I told you, she's the one that stole my tarts." I rolled my eyes.

"You are such a broken record, lady." She paled, and the other two queens had to stop from laughing.

"It is true, dear." The White Queen commented. The Queen of Hearts glared at her with all of her might.

"Off-" She began. A footman walked up to her and whispered something in her ear. "Oh, fine. She can keep her head…" Muttering, the fat queen sat back in her chair.

"As I was saying, your majesties." The Knight started again. "I found her asking the Duchess for directions to the pens." The Queens looked at him, and then at me.

"Is it true?" The White Queen asked. I shrugged.

"Sure, why not. I'm already on your bad side, it can't get any worse." I replied, keeping my face impassive. The Queens quickly conversed.

The Knight roughly grabbed my arm as they were talking. His eyes held a nasty glint in them, like he couldn't wait to get me alone. Finally, the Queens looked at us again.

"You were looking to bust a friend out of our cells." The Red Queen stated.

"That's is a very big crime." The White continued. The Queen of Hearts puffed out her large chest.

"And that crime is punishable by death." She finished. I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously?" I asked, only to meet the back of the Knight's hand.

"You shall respect the Queens." He snarled. I looked away, towards one of the large walls.

"For now, we are going to place you in a holding cell. That is, until we figure out what to do with you." The White Queen said. "Knight, please take her to the cell." He nodded, his fingers tightening on my arm. His red eyes glinted with lust as he dragged me from the room.


	5. Chapter 5

The cells were in a single hallway, just wide enough so that prisoners couldn't reach and touch each other. Shire was curled up in the corner of one, looking as ever the gentleman. His eyes widened when he saw me.

"Ashton?" He whispered. I gulped and quickly glanced at the Knight. Shire seemed to understand, but his face showed sadness. He shifted, letting me see his neck. A large silver collar was attached around it.

"It doesn't allow me to disappear, vaporate, or anything of the sort." He murmured. I gulped, tears forming in my eyes. I nodded once, just before the Knight roughly threw me into the cell across from Shire.

"You two seem to know each other. Maybe it'd be best if he watched?" The Knight's snarl scared me. He pulled my hands into the cuffs that hung off of the stone wall, clicking them tightly around my wrists. I closed my eyes, wishing that this was all a dream.

I had almost convinced myself that it was, but the Knight's rough hands on my legs drew me back out.

"Don't bother screaming, no one will care." He whispered, just before his rough lips crashed onto mine. I kept my mouth shut, closing my eyes tightly as a tear rolled down my cheek. I could hear Shire growl and began one of the pissed off cat screams I've only heard a few times. The Knight broke the kiss to roughly remove my dress. I looked over his shoulder at Shire.

"No, Shire… Please." I whispered, knowing he would hear me. His ears were laid back, and his pupils were just thin slits. I closed my eyes and shook my head. His growl subsided a little, but it was still there.

"Maybe I should wait, and bring Hatter here too. You seemed to be getting cozy to him." The Knight murmured, licking my ear. I whimpered, focusing my gaze on Shire. His face paled and his eyes widened.

"What?" The cat boy asked. New tears formed in my eyes, and I had to drop my eyes. "Ashton, look at me!" Shire lunged at the bars, reaching a thin arm through them. Reluctantly, I drew my gaze back up to him. His eyes were full of hurt, confusion. I closed my eyes, wishing that this was all a dream again.

The Knight's fingers had shifted my panties without me realizing it, and now he shoved two of them inside of me. I gasped, biting my lip to keep my cries down. I tried to keep my focus on Shire, seeing how much he was actually enjoying the show. He curled into himself, trying to hide it from me.

"Shire, it's okay…" I murmured, my voice weak. His eyes were turning from the usual green to a more yellow, like a feral cat's. His body was tense as he took deep breaths. From what I knew of predators, they smelled fear. Shire was definitely a predator, and I was definitely afraid.

"No, it's not…" His hoarse voice shook me to the bones, making me momentarily forget about the Red Knight.

I was brought back to reality in an instant. The Knight had replaced his fingers with his mouth. He gently lapped at my sex, almost making me mewl out of forced pleasure. Shire whimpered, almost urging the Knight on.

My captor smirked, sliding up my body. He roughly pressed his lips to mine. I could taste myself on his lips and tongue. It was enough to distract me from the fact that his pants were now on the ground.

I felt it first. The obscene pressure. I closed my eyes tightly, not believing that this was happening to me.

Before he could totally enter me, I heard a loud popping noise. Both of us looked to Shire, who was not where he was supposed to be. In fact, he wasn't there at all. The large collar clattered to the floor. The Knight's eyes widened as an invisible force pulled him away from me. My legs felt like jelly as they fell from where the Knight had been holding them. I watched as the Knight too disappeared. He reappeared in the opposite cell, the collar snapping soundly to his neck.

Shire's face appeared before mine, close enough to kiss. His ghostly yellow eyes stared into mine.

"I told you that it wasn't okay." His voice was hoarse, as if he had been yelling for a long time.

"I told you that it was." I replied. My voice was low, showing no harm. Shire had his usual grin on his face, but this time it hid a more perverted desire. His long fingers slid along my sides, caressing me gently. I whimpered at the touch.

Slowly, and much more gently, his fingers found my sex.

"Do you want me, Ashton?" He asked. I took a deep breath.

"Shire, close your eyes." I whispered. With a mischievous glint, he did so. My breath shaky, I kissed him gently, passionately. Something tugged at my heart, like an old friend that you've forgotten.

We broke apart, and his eyes were his usual green. His smile was off of his face, which almost made me laugh.

"Ashton…" He murmured. I blushed and looked off to the side.

"Did I break it?" I asked, scared that it didn't work. Shire's smile lit up his face.

"Break it? You demolished it!" He kissed me again, deeply, his tongue running along my lips. When he moved away, his face was flushed. His green eyes shone with happiness.

"I…I did?" I asked, not quite sure of it. Shire pulled off his coat and handed it to me as he undid my shackles.

"Yes, you did!" He helped me pull the coat on, and then quickly did up the buttons. He gave a dismal look at my dress. "Sorry about your dress." With a shy grin, he took my hand and tugged me out of the cell.

No words passed between us as we ran down the corridors, paintings and windows flying past us.

We reached a back door, and Shire opened it for me. As soon as I walked out, I ran into Hatter's chest.

"You did it!" He exclaimed, hugging me tightly. He smelled heavily of something other than tea. Shire's grin split his face.

"Come on, let's go." Hatter said, picking me up. I blushed as he ran, carrying me bridal style.

"Where are we going?" I asked, looking at both of the men. Hatter glanced at Shire, who blushed lightly.

"We, my dear girl from the Other, are going to Rhymier." The cat boy said. "I have status there, along with an army. I can build them up, and join with the other kingdoms to take down the Queens." He paused, but shook his head. "The faster we get there the better."


	6. Chapter 6

We stopped as soon as the sun had set. Shire and Hatter built a small fire. As soon as it was going nicely, Shire left to find some food. Hatter smirked and handed me a small cake from his pocket.

"Don't worry, I had it wrapped up. I figured something like this would happen." He winked as I took the cake. It was glazed, with a little heart added in frosting on top. I took a bite, moaning at the moist strawberry taste. Hatter grinned, taking a bite out of another one.

"I have one for Shire, so don't even." He warned, talking around his mouthful of food.

"What about me?" Shire asked, stepping back into our small fire lit area. He had a bunch of berries in his arms, on top of a few fishes.

"Where'd you find fishes?" Hatter asked, shocked.

"Stream near by." His companion stated simply, plopping down. Shire expertly speared the fishes through the mouth, staking them into the ground to cook over the fire. He separated the berries onto some large leaves he had pulled from a tree, telling me what each pile was.

"It's a long journey to Rhymier." He said, popping a berry into his mouth. "We have to get across the Field, and from there we have another kingdom to travel across." His tail swished at the thought.

We sat in a thoughtful silence for a few moments. The fire cracked and popped, almost urging us to talk. Hatter stared into the orange flames, while Shire kept his ears up for anybody that might stumble across us.

"What's it like?" I asked, getting sick of the silence. Shire gave a sad smile.

"It's beautiful. Everyone there usually rhymes when they talk, and all of our streets and big buildings rhyme. We love to give riddles, so I don't know if you'll like it." I grinned at his assumption.

"I deal with you just fine, don't I?" We laughed, enjoying the peaceful time to ourselves.


	7. Chapter 7

We ate the fishes after they were done cooking. Hatter and Shire took it upon themselves to watch for the night. I curled up by the dying fire, still wearing Shire's coat and nothing more. Hatter curled up next to me, our backs touching. I smiled as I quickly fell asleep.

I didn't remember my dream. All I remember is waking up for a small amount of time, when Shire and Hatter switched jobs. The cat boy draped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. His musky scent made me fall asleep again.

The sun was up when I opened my eyes. Shire was gone, and a pair of clothes sat by the remains of the fire for me. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I quickly changed. Looking around, I noticed that both of my companions were gone.

"Great…" I murmured, sitting back down. I ended up loosing myself in thought.

A cracking branch ended up tugging me back to reality. I jumped to my feet, not ready for a fight. Shire smirked as he saw my shock.

"Well, someone missed us." Without further conversation, we ate a quick breakfast.

"We have to get out of here as fast as we can." Hatter stated, spreading a map out. "It'll go faster if cut straight through the Field." He pointed to the large chessboard meadow thing. Shire glared at him.

"But, there's no cover there. We can always go across the mountains." The green eyed man traced a path along the paper. "See? It might take a little longer, but it's safer. Plus, it's not in the Queens' Territory." Hatter returned the glare.

"Quicker." He growled.

"Safer." With no comments from either party, Shire snatched up the map. "Mountains it is." Hatter sighed, shaking his head.

I piggy backed on Shire while we ran for the mountains. The wind blew with us, sending us farther faster than we could've ran by ourselves.

We reached the foot of the mountains by night fall. Shire collapsed onto a rock as soon as he put me down. Hatter smirked, handing him one of the last cakes. Without a word, the rhyming hybrid took it, slowly bringing it to his mouth. Hatter quickly made a fire from the brush that surrounded us, and we settled down.

"Tea?" He asked, handing me a small flask. I accepted it and took a swig. Black chai spice, with loads of sugar and honey like I loved it. I blushed when I saw him smirking.

"Shire, I can watch tonight." I said, realizing that he was tired from carrying me. His green eyes stared through me as he took in my words.

"No. You don't know what they sound like. You don't know what to look for." His words were becoming slower and slurred. I walked over to him, wrapping his coat around him as a blanket. Shire pulled me down next to him. He curled up next to me, using me as a pillow. Hatter smiled sadly as he watched.

"Go to sleep, Ashton. I can watch. I'll wake you two up in a few hours." Grateful, I smiled and cuddled with Shire. The night was becoming to get chilly, which meant that body warmth was a big part of staying alive.

Hatter woke us up a few hours later, like he promised. Shire rubbed sleep from his eyes, looking more like a ten year old. After a while, he regained his maturity and took up watch. Hatter replaced him, settling down next to me. I curled up next to him like I did with Shire, and was quickly asleep again.

Shire woke us up, as soon as the sun had risen.

"Come on, we have to move." He prompted, lifting me up onto his back. Hatter scuffed his foot over the ashes of the small fire. In a slight hurry, he gathered our stuff and took off running.

"Shire, what's wrong?" He asked, catching up with us. Shire shook his head. His ears were laid back and he seemed scared.

"Shire." I whispered. His body froze up for a second, but continued running. "Shire, tell me what's going on."

"Found us." He growled. My eyes widened as both of my escorts picked up the pace.


	8. Chapter 8

Eventually, we came to a narrow pass.

"We can run across." Shire growled, quickly glancing around. I pinched his neck and jumped off of his back.

"No, we can't. It's too risky." Shire's yellow eyes stared into mine as I challenged him. Hatter took a step back and surveyed the pass.

"I'll go first. Shire, you're the best fighter, take up the back. Come here, Ashton." He took my hand and quickly showed me how to walk without making any noise, and with minimal chance of a rock slide. I gulped and nodded, following his lead as we walked through the pass.

It was a long walk, seemingly made longer since we were watching our step every second. Wind howled around us; Shire jumped at the noise a lot. We stopped once, and I saw that his tail was fluffed out, instead of it's usual sleek self.

"Hatter, how much longer?" I asked, not being able to see an end. He frowned as he gazed out across the pass in front of us.

"I have no idea."


	9. Chapter 9

The moon was high overhead when we finally made it through the pass. Shire seemed paler, his eyes more of a silver in the white moon light. Hatter saw this and cringed. I glanced between the two.

"We're almost there." Shire murmured. His voice was thick. Something was off with him, and I didn't know what it was. He began to walk ahead of me and Hatter. I grabbed the tea addicts wrist and pulled him back to slow his pace.

"What's wrong with Shire?" I whispered. Shire could probably hear us, but I didn't care at this point. Hatter looked at me with sad eyes that looked black.

"He was almost killed coming through these mountains. His own people were sicked on him when he ran away from the kingdom." I stopped in my tracks as Hatter spoke. "His father sent the dogs after him, and asked the neighboring kingdoms and countries to lend a hand. He said that Shire had treasoned against the family, planning to kill everyone and then rule Rhymier as a dictator."

I noticed that all three of us had stopped walking.

"I hadn't of course. Father is a stuck up bastard that loves his youngest son more. That's the whole reason I ran away. I was being treated like a pauper at home, while I was being dressed in silk and making plans for a queen, after Father died. All of that pampering just to be presentable to the public. The bruises that were occasionally made known were explained as angst, and that I had gotten into a scuffle with my brother." His hands were shaking.

"I haven't been back since. Brother's probably in the throne now, with that little slut Alice at his side." Hatter blushed and looked away from Shire.

Without thinking, I hugged Shire. I almost knew how he felt. Just because I wasn't royalty doesn't mean that I knew what it was like to be pampered.

He gave a shuddering sigh, slumping back against me.

"I've always been the unstable one. That's the reason I almost had my way with you, back in the Castle. But you were a fast thinker." I heard a small chuckle as he patted my arms. "It's late. We need as much rest as we can if we're to deal with my family in a sane matter. There's a cave over this way." He led me to it, pushing a large boulder out of the mouth of the cavern.

Hatter volunteered to watch first, but Shire told him to sleep. With a heavy sigh, Hatter laid down. Soon enough, we were listening to the steady breathing of an unconscious person.

"Shire…" I murmured, sitting down next to him. We hadn't started a fire, or eaten. I was tired, but more pressing matters were presenting themselves. He hummed in response, drawing his knees up to his chest as he stared at the moon.

"It's so different, once you're outside the boundaries." We sat in silence for a little while. Finally, he bit his lip.

"Ashton, I think… I mean, if my brother is in the throne… I think I'm going to have to challenge him." He gulped, glancing at me. I cast a curious glance at him.

"What do you mean?" Sighing, he began to explain to me about politics.

"Even if I don't challenge him, he'll challenge me, since I've been gone so long." He stated. "I'm the older brother, so I have to accept. Even if I was his younger brother, I would accept, or be forced to. Otherwise," He said, catching me opening my mouth to speak. "I would be banished completely and totally." I closed my mouth, resting my chin on my knees.

"Alright." I stated. "Let's say that you did challenge him, or accept it. What would happen?" He laid back, letting out a long sigh.

"A number of things could happen. The most popular challenges are brute force: fighting to the death, seeing who can tow a boulder the farthest across a field, things like that. My brother was always weaker than me, but he was more kniving. I think he'll choose a wits challenge." Another sigh. "But I haven't seen him in what feels like ages, so he might've changed." With a huff, he sat up.

I looked into his eyes, which were slowly turning back to the green I was used to.

"If you win?" I whispered.

"I'll have the throne, and the kingdom will be mine. I have to rebuild the trust though."

"And if you lose?"

"I am at my brother's mercy." I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a shuddering breath.

"What will he do to you?" My voice was low, barely audible to my own ears.

"I do not know."

An awkward silence passed between us. Shire seemed to want to ask me something, and I was trying to sort things out.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his jaw work. He was trying to form words.

"Shire?" I murmured, sliding my gaze over to him. The man blushed and looked at the rocks we were sitting on.

"I'll need a second, to take the challenge if I am unable to continue." He glanced at Hatter, who laid dozing behind us. "I do not want to put either of you in that position… But I have no more friends in Rhymier." I bit my lip as the sudden realization hit me.

"Hatter would be the better choice." I said, forcing myself to sound strong. "He knows the people better than I do. I won't stand a chance." A sigh heaved from Shire's lips as another silence fell around us.

"I'm not going to lose. He'll have to kill me." His eyes closed, and I watched as a tear slipped down his cheek. I bit my lip. I hated seeing people like this. Although I almost hated to admit it, we had gotten a lot closer since I had first dropped into this crazy world.

I slowly took his hand. He looked at me with sad eyes, like he was just realizing what he had, and he knew that he would risk it all.

"I won't let him kill you." I promised. Another tear slid down his cheek.

"If I win, I'll need a queen." I grinned at his bland statement.

"But, Shire, we haven't even had our first date." I teased. The prince cracked a smile, drawing me closer to him. I admit, it hurt, since he was dragging me over rocks, but at the same time, I didn't mind.

He hugged me close as I fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The sun woke me up. Shire had fallen asleep next to me, and Hatter was moving around the small cave.

"Morning, sleepy head." He greeted me, smiling at my situation. Shire's grip around my body had tightened in his sleep, and he wasn't letting me go. "Wake him up, it's okay. We have to get a move on anyway."

I kissed Shire's forehead, wiggling in his arms. He moaned and shifted, letting me go. Sighing, I hauled him up to his feet.

"Wake up, Shire!" I yelled, not caring if he lashed out at me. He opened his eyes and glared at me.

"That's a fine good morning." He muttered. I grinned as Hatter quickly filled him in. Apparently, we were to reach Rhymier by night fall. We would camp on the outskirts of the kingdom, and then move in the morning to the castle.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to just waltz right up and burst down the door?" I asked as we were walking along the path. Shire shrugged.

"They'll find out eventually." He replied, his voice slightly monotone. I glanced down at my clothes and cringed.

"Are we going to be able to get better clothes?" I asked. Hatter laughed at me while Shire called me vain. I grinned, taking both of their hands in mine.

"Hey, guys?" They looked at me, identical expressions on their face. "I almost don't want us to reach Rhymier…" I admitted. I sniffled, knowing that my time was most likely coming to a close. I had no idea what the future had in store for me, but I hoped it was more time with these two.

Shire gave me a sad smile. Hatter squeezed my hand. We walked like that the rest of the way through the mountains.

We jumped off of the last rock and into squishy moss. Shire informed us that it was only a small little hike before we reached the slums.

"We'll spend the night there, and try to find some better clothes. Ashton, they don't know your face. You'll be our best bet to buy some things." He eyed Hatter, and then grinned. "But I think that Hatter might work out well, too. He's changed so much from the slightly chubby little boy that used to serve me tea." Said tea addict blushed, increasing his pace as we walked along a small path.

The small forest was beautiful and lush. The sunlight was filtered, tinged green through the layer of leaves. A small breeze whispered through the branches, sending the shadows dancing across the path.

I smiled as I watched the shadows. The forest was peaceful. I almost forgot about the impending doom that Shire faced, and the fact that I was the one to overthrow the Queens.

Shire stopped, his ears perking and his pupils shrinking. Hatter stopped, tugging me behind him.

"Shire?" I asked. His head snapped to the side, and he took off through the woods. I blinked, and Hatter laughed.

"What?" I yelled, without meaning to.

"He heard a bird. That boy has more cat in him than human, sometimes." He stated, his laugh ending in a chuckle. "He'll be back. For now, let's chase after him. He'll stay on the path."

We walked slowly, enjoying the peaceful time before the storm. Hatter sat on a log to take a break.

"You love him, don't you?" Hatter asked, looking at me from the shadow of his hat. I blushed, looking to the side.

"What makes you think that?" I asked in return. Hatter smirked.

"The fact that you're avoiding the question." My blush deepened.

"I don't know…" I hesitantly answered. Hatter's smirked widened to a grin.

"You do!" He exclaimed, jumping up. I could feel my blush spreading along my cheeks as he began to sing it out.

"No, I don't!" I cried, stamping my foot like a five year old. Hatter stopped and gave me a good hard look.

"Oh, really?" With that, he took off running down the path. I was forced to follow him.

"Hatter!" I screamed, forgetting that we were technically on the run. He grinned and used his long legs as an advantage.

"Admit it!" The tea addict called over his shoulder. I pumped my arms, sprinting to catch up to him. I tackled him to the ground, sending both of us head over heels down the path for a few feet.

When we stopped, I was sitting on top of him. I blew a strand of hair out of my face. I was trying my best to glare at him, and it wasn't really working. He gave a Shire sized grin. I tried with all of my might, but I had to laugh. He rolled us over, laying on top of me.

"You have no need to worry." Hatter said. "I won't tell Shire."

"Tell Shire what?" Said man appeared, brushing a feather off of his shirt. I looked at him, and then imagined what it had to look like in his eyes.

"Oh, just that she loves you-"

"Your ears!" I broke in, giving Hatter a hard glare. Shire hesitantly felt his ears, becoming self conscious.

"Sure. Come on, you two. Let's keep moving." He turned on his heel, his long tail swishing as he briskly walked a head of us. I shoved Hatter off of me, giving him a look as I speed walked to catch up.


	11. Chapter 11

The outskirts of Rhymier were nice. My companions had said that it was where the homeless people and very low class lived. It looked like a decent middle class neighborhood to me. A small bazaar was set up, selling scarves and jewelry along with knick knacks and small snacks. Shire stopped me before I could fully enter the outskirts.

"Hold on." He murmured. I watched as he slipped behind a tree, reappearing on the other side. His clothes seemed a little bit more run down, a grubby hat sitting on his head with a long trench coat hiding his tail. Sighing, he glanced at himself.

"I hate dressing like that." He muttered. Hatter grinned.

"I'm glad I don't to have to." Hatter replied, smirking. Shire sent him a glare.

"As long as we're sneaking around, I go by the name of Aaron." Shire stated, rolling his eyes as Hatter made a face at him. "People shouldn't recognize me."

We walked into the outskirts. My gaze was drawn everywhere at once. People sounded like they were rhyming, but I couldn't tell. I could tell, however, that they were speaking in pattern, like Shakespeare's plays were supposed to be.

"S-Aaron," I started. He glanced at me, annoyance clear in his eyes. "Just how are we supposed to buy the clothes?" I vaguely remembered settling the issue, but I wasn't quite sure. Shire sighed and glanced at Hatter.

"You still have money, don't you?" He asked, bored. Hatter dug around in his pockets. Finally, he shook his head.

"Not any more, sorry." Shire scowled at this new predicament. He glanced over at me, taking in my appearance. I got self-conscious, and had to check myself over.

My hair was frizzy, mussed, dirty and lank. My clothes were sizes too big and were in desperate need of a washing. I had scratches and bruises all over my arms and legs, not to mention a slightly broken mentality since what had happened in the Castle.

"Do you think-?" Shire asked Hatter. Hatter gave me a look over, but shook his head.

"Not like that. She looks like she just rolled out of a orgy that was going for a week with bondage." I blushed at the mental image. The two consulted briefly. Just then I realized that we were being watched, stared at. Murmurs started to float up from the bazaar, sending shivers down my back.

"Aaron, can we get a move on?" I asked, glancing around at the prying eyes. He glanced at me and then saw what I was anxious about. Sighing, he roughly grabbed my arms and kissed me. Hatter seized the moment and whipped off Shire's hat.

"Look, citizens of Rhymier!" There was a pause as the outskirt citizens looked at him like he was high. "Your true prince, Shire, has returned!" He continued on a spiel, practically forcing Shire off of me. The prince's blush was hard to hide, as was his anger for Hatter.

"All we ask is for clothing, a place to bathe, a warm meal, and a bed to sleep in for the night." Murmurs rose up around us again. Shire was getting ansty. I could almost understand why. A prince that left his kingdom for years on end, only to come back suddenly and unannounced? Yeah, I could buy why he was antsy.

A brave citizen stepped forward, her face cross. She was probably in her late twenties, carrying a child on her hip. She stalked right up to Shire, and then slapped him across the face. He took it in stride, going with the strike. He blinked, shook his head, and then took the woman in.

"Hello, Jezebella." He muttered, glancing at the trodden dirt. She huffed.

"I suppose I can let you stay at my house." Her eyes narrowed as she took Hatter and me in.

"You're that scroungy little tea boy that stalked me." Jezebella stated blatantly, glaring at Hatter. He blushed, glancing away.

"Why, so I am…" She turned to me. I thought of the Queens and how uptight they had been. She was only a few steps away from being just as bad as them.

"And you…" Her voice dropped, eyes widening to saucers. I glanced down at my clothes again, feeling like a pauper slut. Luckily, Hatter saved me.

"Ma'am, we're very tired. I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep your dear prince waiting in these filthy clothes?" Jezebella stopped short, still staring at me. Hatter let out a brief sigh, and then took her arm.

"Come now, dear. Which…house is yours?" With that we were off to be bathed, made decent, fed, and plan our next move.


	12. Chapter 12

I moaned as I sank into the hot water. Jezebella had said that Shire should get the first bath, but he told me ladies first. I still had no idea what went through her mind when she saw me, and at that particular moment, I didn't care.

The water relaxed my sore muscles. I sank into the small tub as much as I could, my nose hovering just above the surface of the water. The steam rose up around me, fogging the small bathroom as I scrubbed at my limbs under the water. I didn't want to get out.

Eventually, Hatter barged in. He kept his face impassive, looking down at me. I blinked twice, confused. He stood there, shook his head, and walked out. I took it as a sign to hurry up. Rolling my eyes, I massaged shampoo through my scalp and dunked my head.

Jezebella had managed to find fluffy towels for us. She, of course, saved the fluffiest for Shire. I wrapped it around my body and walked back out into the main room. Clothes sat in a small pile, folded neatly.

"For me?" I asked, crouching down. Hatter nodded as Shire headed into the bathroom. I held up a blue dress, much like the one I had lost at the Castle.

"For tomorrow. They should give us clothes when we arrive." Hatter explained. "In the meantime, I picked up a slightly cheaper dress." It was a cute little dress. It was a blue green material that shimmered lightly in the light. I glanced at Hatter.

"Are you sure you didn't get the dresses mixed up?" Rolling his eyes, Hatter slowly told me about the social rules that were never laid down in stone. One of them was simply, if you outshone any of the royal family, you were out casted, shunned, stoned, hissed at, and so on and so forth. At that time, Shire came out, wearing the towel around his waist.

"Hatter, get clean." He ordered. Hatter quickly scampered into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Shire sighed, slumping onto the small couch. He hid his face, muttering to himself. Jezebella was humming in the small kitchen, not paying any attention to us. I sat down next to him after I pulled on the dress.

"Shire?" I asked, placing a hand on his wet back. He shuddered under my touch, and I realized that he was burning up.

"Jezebella!" I got up and made a run for the kitchen, the dress not hindering my movements at all. She looked at me like she was ashamed. "Shire's burning up with a fever, all over his body." Her eyes widened, and her face showed guilt. I realized what had happened.

"You poisoned him!" I screamed, grabbing the makeshift table for support. I couldn't believe it. We had all gotten some water before bathing, and then we had more water in the bath. Jezebella's face hardened.

"Ches told me about Shire's return. Shire had my family removed here, to the slums. Ches told me that this was a perfect time for revenge." I snarled, starting to feel light headed and hot.

"But why me? Why Hatter?" I asked. My breath was starting to become hard to catch. My vision was getting splotchy.

"I had to make sure that Shire got it. Besides, Ches told me about the curse that was laid on Shire." She was standing strong, looking down her nose at me.

"It's all for Ches." I remember her saying, right before I collapsed.


	13. Chapter 13

For the second time since I arrived, I woke up in a new place, after being knocked out. My fever had gone away, just leaving me a little woozy as I stood up. I was still wearing the shimmering dress. I glanced at my new surroundings. Also for the second time, I found myself in a room that I deducted to be in the castle. I hear a moan from the bed, and I turned around. Hatter was lying there, arm over his eyes. A towel was wrapped around his waist. It was probably all that he was wearing when he fell out.

"Ashton? Where's Shire?" He murmured, peeking at me. His hat was back in the slums, so I could see his pale blonde hair. It fell across his forehead as he moved his arm, making him look incredibly sexy. I blushed and stared at the wall.

"Don't know. I just got up not long before you." I stated. I looked everywhere but at the bed, where Hatter was.

"I don't suppose, while you're looking everywhere but me, you know where some clothes are?" He purred. I jumped a tad. I was trying to be unnoticeable with that.

"No idea." I stated, turning around and crossing my arms. That was my first mistake.

Hatter had rolled over in the bed without making a sound. He grabbed my waist and pulled me onto the bed, over his body. He straddled me, the towel becoming jarred and adding to his sex appeal. I really hoped that my blush wasn't as apparent as I thought it was.

"You know, we're all alone, in a huge castle." He murmured, leaning down.

"We have to find Shire." I replied, becoming uncomfortable. He nuzzled my neck, kissing my jaw lightly. A small whimper escaped my throat. I hated myself for it. I had almost gotten raped twice, in quick succession. I had forgotten how long ago that was, and here I was, getting sexed up by a tea addict.

His hand gently massaged my hip, carefully gathering the material of the dress up. When it was just barely covering me, he placed his hand on my bare skin.

"Hatter," I moaned. "we have to find Shire." His hand paused, as if he was thinking about it. Finally, he got off and gave me a look.

"You go look for him. I'll join you in a little while." I could see why he told me that, since he was only wearing a towel. Blushing, I opened the large door and left him to his business.

"It's only a castle. How hard can it be to find Shire?" I asked myself, not thinking back to the Castle of the Queens. Sighing, I finally slumped down onto one of the stone benches that randomly sat in the hallways. I had been looking for what seemed close to an hour, and I hadn't seen any sign of Hatter or of Shire. Hanging my head, I thought and thought.

"I see you're up." A voice purred. I glanced up. It didn't sound familiar, but at the same time it did.

The man that spoke was just coming out of his teens. He had layered black hair, like Shire. His ears were orange, not pink and purple. Blue eyes examined me. He wore royal clothes, a crest sewn onto one shoulder.

"You must be looking for my brother. Come, I'll show you where he is." With a swish of his orange tabby tail, I watched as the youngest prince marched down the hall, where I had just been. I felt like screaming out of frustration, but I followed him anyway.

I had, in fact, walked past Shire's room several times. Ches opened the door for me, closing it quietly as I stepped through the threshold. Shire was staring out a large window, perched on the sill. I noticed that there was no glass. He didn't seem like he was going to jump, but I was nervous none the less.

"Shire?" I asked, taking a few quiet steps. He glanced back at me, smiling gently. His eyes held a sadness that only those faced with impending doom knew. I sat down on the sill across from him. His hands were bloodied from where his nails had broken the skin of his palms. He glanced out the window again. It was a beautiful view. The room over looked a part of the kingdom, then a forest, and then a large cliff and the ocean.

"If only you could comprehend half of the story." He murmured, his face clearly showing sadness. I bit my lip. I was never that great at giving good advice.

"I can never try if you don't tell me." His eyes were more of a green, I noticed. When he had been angry, they were yellow. Shire blinked slowly, and then sighed. He pushed himself to his feet and collapsed onto the bed that sat against a wall.

"Ashton, you'll never fully understand. You're from the Other, and politics there are fucked up enough. If you can't understand your own politics, how are you going to know someone else's?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"So, Shire." I started, standing up and walking around the room. "Hatter almost raped me." That caught his attention. He was instantly behind me, hands gently probing my arms and sides for bruises.

"How?" He asked, confused on the situation.

"Jezebella drugged us, only wanting to hit you. She said it was all for your beloved brother." I bit my lip. His hands felt nice through the silky material of the dress. "I woke up in a room here, in the castle. Hatter was there too. He woke up a little after I did, and then he tried to make love to me."

"He knows that you're mine." Shire snarled. My eyes widened. I spun around and slapped him.

"Excuse me?" I asked, not believing what I had just heard. "I belong to no one. I have half the mind to leave, right now." Shire was shocked. His ears pinned back, his eyes became that feral yellow again. He pinned me against the wall. His hands roughly took my wrists and held them above my head.

"If you do, you will be a small cute little mouse stuck out in a world of starving cats. They will chase you down, force you to join them, only for them to turn around and eat you whole." His face was centimeters away from mine. "You cannot go back to the Other until the war is over. If you try to leave, you shall be found among a patch of clover. Breath will be gone from you, while the number who know is few. The Otherside Door is closed and locked, and won't come undone till you've punched the clock." I relaxed in his grip. He was rhyming and not giving me a straight answer, so he was fine.

"Shire,"

"What?"

"You're rhyming again. And not giving straight answers." I gave a small smirk, wanting to say 'I told you so'. His large smile came back to his face. Green melted back into his eyes. However, he didn't let me go.

"You know, I could make you mine. I can make it so no one will ever touch you again." He whispered, leaning into me. His breath was hot against my ear.

"I'm sure that it would be nice, but you have a story to fill me in on." I replied, kissing his cheek. I knew how to use sex as an advantage. A slight feral sound ripped through his throat at my bribe.

"Will I get to have you after?" His body was shaking with need. If I could hold him off long enough with the story, maybe he would calm down.

"Yes," I hesitantly replied. Sighing, he lifted me up against him, and carried me to the bed. The blankets he laid me on were soft and warm. Shire's body fit perfectly against mine as he laid an arm around my waist to pull me close to him.

"Ches has challenged me. I took him up on the offer." He began to absentmindedly play with my hair. "He's challenged me to a duel, with one back up. It's going to be a week from now." Sighing, he buried his head in my hair.

"Who's going to back you up? I'm not nearly skilled enough to fight, and I know that Hatter would put his life on the line." I replied. My mind was going blank with distraction tactics. I really hoped that he wouldn't see what I was trying to do. "And what are you guys going to be fighting with?"

"I'm not sure who my back up will be. That's one of the difficulties. Ches said that we were to choose each other's back ups, not our own. In other words, I'm choosing Ches' back up, while he chooses mine." A silence fell over us as he let the words sink in. It pretty much meant no fair fight. Of course both of them were going to choose the weakest people to fight as back ups, and I was right up on that list. Ches probably wasn't going to choose Hatter, so unless he knew someone in the kingdom, it was looking like I was Shire's back up.

I was so caught up in thought that I didn't notice Shire's hand slowly inching my dress up my leg. It was when his rough fingers touched my skin that I realized it. My plan hadn't worked. A small curse made it's way under my breath. Shire was gentler than the Red Knight, and more passionate than Hatter. He kissed my temple, holding me close to him.

"I was serious, about a queen." He murmured.

"I know. But at the same time, I don't know." I replied. His hands stopped, and he leaned back to look at me.

"What's with the riddle?" He asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"'Tis not a riddle." I quickly rolled off of the bed, landing shakily on my feet. "Where can you find some food in this place? I'm starving." Hatter never crossed my mind as Shire took my hand and led me through the castle.


	14. Chapter 14

Hatter, we found out, was busy lecturing the kitchen on the proper way to steep tea. As soon as we walked in, I had flash backs to the Duchess. The chefs were close to throwing pans at Hatter.

"Wait for the water to get hot, but not at a boil. No, no, longer than that!" Muttering to himself, Hatter took the pot of water and demonstrated how long to keep it on. Shire grinned, back to his usual self.

"Servant boy! Fetch me and this fair lady some food. And we would prefer that you not spit in it." Hatter glanced up at Shire's demand. He had gotten a new hat, I noticed.

"Excuse me, your ex-majesty?" The two began to laugh, engaging in a quick bro hug before debriefing each other. The chefs found this as a good time to go back to their business.

"No, really, Hatter, get us some food." Shire said with a completely straight face. Hatter rolled his eyes.

"And why should I? For all I know you've been eating her." He pointed at me. Both of us blushed and shook our heads.

"Good God, no!" I exclaimed. Luckily, the large doors opened. Ches stood there, a petite blonde at his side. She was wearing a blue dress, much like the one I had lost at the Castle of Cards. She was fair, just a head shorter than Ches. A black head band kept her bangs out of her face, adding a small amount of body to the back of her hair.

"Ches, Alice." Shire sneered. He didn't keep his distaste off of his face. Ches showed the same amount of displeasure.

"Brother. I've decided who is going to be your second." Ches stared right at me, his face impassive. A silence fell over the kitchen. Shire slowly turned, looking at me. Disbelief was written all over his face.

"And by the way, brother, our seconds will fight for us. First blood, or surrender." With that, Ches turned on his heel, his little pet Alice close to his side.

"I've decided who I want to second you then." Shire hollered. Ches stopped, his ears twitched once. "Alice." Ches tensed, as did his little pet. He turned, his eyes feral. Shire's eyes held the same contempt.

"You do not dare to put her in a fight."

"I do." Shire snarled back. Hatter took my wrist, drawing me back a little bit. Hands turned into claws, bodies tensed to fight. Alice took a few steps toward me, her blue eyes dull. I broke my hand out of Hatter's grip, walking straight up to her.

"Shire, I challenge you, here and now." Ches snarled, taking a fighting position. It looked weird, since he was decked out in his prince attire. Shire took a similar stance, glaring. That's when I felt it. A sharp little jab against my shoulder. I spun around, my fist connecting with Alice's nose. I felt good when I heard the satisfying crunch beneath my knuckles.

Ches and Shire began to fight around us, creating a complex dance. The rest of the kitchen crew pressed against the walls, trying to stay out of the fight.

We had gone way past first blood. Alice's nose was still dripping, ruining her pretty little face. I gave a sadistic smile as she managed to scratch my cheek. I threw my leg up, not caring if I flashed people or not. Yes, I was in a dress, but I wasn't going down without a fight.

My foot connected with her head. I followed through, dragging her down to the stone floor. I straddled her, letting my fists and elbows connect with her pale face. I heard a feral yell right before I was yanked off of her. Ches snarled by my ear. His teeth bit into my shoulder, making me yelp. Shire pounced at him from behind, shoving me away. Alice was struggling to her feet. She looked at me with hate, but showed no sign of anymore fighting.

It was just between the two boys now. Ches and Shire circled each other, eyes focused on each other's chests. I noticed that the pupils were mere slits and that both sets of eyes were a feral yellow gold.

Ches hissed. He lunged at Shire. His hand was clawed, nails glinting dangerously in the light. A solid slash, and Shire's shirt fell to ribbons. Four lines of crimson appeared on his chest.

Hatter gripped my good shoulder, holding me back.

"Let them resolve it, Ashton. The rules have already been broken. Ches broke in on your fight with Alice. He has lost the challenge already." He murmured. Shire took his turn next. He threw his leg up, like he was going to kick, but turned at the last second. He was gone in a flash. Ches spun around. He searched in vain for his brother.

"Here," Shire stated, popping up from behind him. His arm snaked around Ches' neck, his feet sweeping the younger's out from under him. Shire grabbed his bicep and pushed Ches' head into his arm.

"Give up. Admit I am superior and I shall let you go." Shire tried to negotiate. Ches didn't buy it. He bucked against his brother, trying to get out. Shire only tightened his grip. Ches' face was slowly turning from red to a light purple. Alice let out a cry. I rolled my eyes. I knew the technique he was using. Sure, it could cause brain damage if Shire kept it up.

"Enough!" A powerful voice boomed. Shire's eyes snapped back to a yellow green. He dropped Ches on the floor like a sack of flour. Ches allowed him to.

A large man was standing in the door way. His eyes were a golden, but not quite feral like Shire's had been. His thick black hair was a mirror image of the two boys. His ears were pure black.

"Shire. You left our kingdom. Welcome back."

"Father." Shire bowed, his nose almost touching the floor. It was more of a kneel. Hatter pushed me forward, telling me to bow too. I noticed that everyone was doing it.

"This must be the Other." Shire's dad said, lifting my chin up. "You choose better than Ches, at least." Ches tensed at the comment, as did Alice. Shire only bowed lower.

"A feast." His dad said after a moment. "To celebrate the new Other, and my son's return home." He paused, and moved on to Hatter.

"Hatter, my boy, is that you?" The two let out a hearty laugh. "I'll admit, I miss your tea!"

"Then perhaps I shall bake the dessert and make tea for the feast." Hatter smiled, bowing low. Shire slowly stood up.

"Father, please forgive my actions." His eyes were guarded, as if he didn't want to say he was sorry. Shire's daddy looked at him with a sad smile.

"Oh, Shire." Was all he said. Shocking all of the people in the room, the robust man grabbed Shire and hugged him close. Hesitantly, the older prince hugged him back. It was a touching moment, and everybody sighed. Ches stumbled to his feet. He shoved Alice away when she tried to help.

"Father! You cannot allow this!" The younger brother stormed up to the daddy-son duo and tried to break it up. "He left the kingdom, you banished him! You said that I would have the throne! I have the girl from the Other!" He emphasized the _I_'s and _him_'s and _you_'s.

"Looks like someone's jealous." I muttered, glancing at the floor. The shimmery blue dress was getting a little ragged around the edges. It made me sorta sad. I glanced at Hatter.

"Um, your majesty…" I started. I kept my eyes on Hatter, hoping he would give me some secret sign on how to address a king. "I was wondering…well, I mean, we were brought here in a rather unorthodox way." The king looked at me like he was bored. I guess I was taking too long. "Do you think I could maybe get some clean clothes, and a warm meal? And a bath." I added. I prayed that I wasn't asking for my death sentence. His gold eyes shone.

"Of course you can. Squires!" Shire got his hopes up, but then realized his father was calling for a servant boy. Two boys came running up from an unseen door.

"Yes,"

"Sir!" They finished the sentence separately, as if they shared a brain.

"Take this young lady to one of the guest rooms. A nicer one, at that." They saluted him, turned to me, and then saluted me.

"Right this way," One said.

"My lady." The other finished. They looked exactly alike. Deep red hair splashed across their pale foreheads, intelligent brown eyes looked out at you. A light dusting of freckles ran across their cheeks. They turned around, the small tails on their coats flaring out. I followed them, not wanting to get lost again.

We were a little ways away from the kitchen when they paused. Turning in a synchronized fashion, the twins began to talk.

"I'm Dee," the one on my left said. His brother spoke up.

"And I'm Dum." He said it like doom, not dumb. Dee spoke back up.

"You're very pretty." He commented. I blushed.

"Thanks, but all I want is to get cleaned up and have some food."

"Do you like sausage? This kingdom has some of the best." Dum said. I got the perverseness of it. It made me blush even harder. They slowly advanced on me, pressing me against the stone wall. I gulped. This was what, the fourth or fifth time I had tried to be sexed up?

Dum ran his hand down my side, while Dee ran his hand up my side. They pressed themselves against me, sandwiching me between the cold stone wall and their warm bodies. I didn't know what to do. I knew I didn't like this situation.

"You there! What are you doing?" A guard asked. His voice was loud from beneath his silver helm. Dee and Dum stopped, sighing for a moment. They briskly returned to guiding me. I smiled at the guard. He gave a curt nod and continued on his way.

Did the two boys forget about their friskiness? No. As soon as we got to the room, they tried it again. I shoved them off of me this time, and out of the room.

"Thanks for guiding me. When you get a chance, could you send Shire and Hatter up here?" Without saying please or thank you, I slammed the door in their faces. "Well, this certainly has been an adventure." I muttered.

A bath first, I had decided. The water was warm and felt silky against my dirty skin. I scrubbed until I was squeaky clean and raw. My hair took a little more time. The shampoo they had was amazing though. After one washing, my hair was detangled and felt silky smooth, even though it was still wet. I washed it a couple more times, just to make sure it was really clean.

Fresh clothes were laying on the bed when I got out. I dried myself quickly, dressing with the same haste. The new dress was a deep maroon. It was made out of crushed velvet, and hung all the way to my ankles. A square neck line stopped just above my cleavage. The sleeves partially covered my hands. I checked in a full length mirror. It hung off me perfectly. I briefly wondered if they had magic clothes or not. Shrugging the thought aside, I answered a knock at the door.

A large woman was standing there.

"His majesties sent me here to prepare you for the feast." She pushed her way inside, ignoring me completely. Out of her bag she pulled a chair, another bag full of make up, yet another bag with hair products, and a small black box. She sat me down in the chair and then positioned it in front of the mirror.

Apparently, she was the hair and make up artist of the castle. Her fat fingers were surprisingly nimble as she bunched and pulled at my black hair, knotting it into a difficult bun that looked great. She began to work on the make up then.

When we were finished, I didn't look like myself. The make up was light and earthy, with just enough reds and slight purples to balance out the dress and make me look healthy. She handed me a pair of shoes to finish it off.

"What's in the black box?" I asked. I made a quick face at the shoes: Mary Janes. The hair dresser was debating on telling me.

"A gift, from your Prince." She gave it to me and left. Confused, I opened it. A thin chain glinted in the fading sun light. Hanging from it was a small garnet that was cut like a tear drop. It was beautiful and simple. It matched the dress perfectly.

Hatter fetched me a little while later.

"Wow…" He quickly forgot whatever he was going to say when I opened the door. A shy smile played at my lips. "Right this way," His eyes were still taking me in as we turned and made our way to the large dining hall. He had exchanged his clothes for new ones, I noticed. His suit was new, crisp and clean compared to his old haggard wear. His top hat had been replaced. A deep blue ribbon trimmed it close to the brim.

A large table was set up, in the middle of the hall. Shire sat to the right of his father, Ches to the left. A seat was open by Shire. Hatter deposited me there and took his seat by the foot of the large table. Other notable servants were already seated, or filtering in slowly. The King was set up at the head of the table, looking very much like Bustopher Jones from a musical I had seen. Shire smiled at me as I sat down. Alice glared, still nursing her nose and face lightly. I had to admit, the make up here was amazing. I couldn't tell that her face had been beaten to a bloody pulp earlier.

"Loyal servants, faithful subjects, royal family! May I present to you, your King!" The royal page exclaimed. Everybody clapped as the large man stood up, nodding and bowing his head at the applause.

"My dear subjects, today we celebrate a wondrous thing!" His voice boomed over the large hall, hushing the clapping. "The oldest prince, Shire, has returned home!" Much more applause broke out at the news. I saw several girls lean over the table and their seat partners to get a look. Shire slumped in his chair. His father continued.

"With him he has brought Ashton, a girl from the Other that has broken his curse!" More cheers. I saw Alice and Ches glare at me. "And now, let the feast begin!" Hatter winked at me from his spot down the table. I smiled back, clapping with the rest of the commoners as we were brought our food.


	15. Chapter 15

The King insisted that I stay in some of the royal suites, preferably with Shire. I tried to protest, but said Prince just clapped me on the back.

"She's shy, that's all, Father. Of course, she's more than willing to take you up on your offer." The King laughed. I liked his laugh. It was loud and booming, like you'd imagine Santa Claus's being. Shire took my hand, gently leading me through the throng of people and to a servant's hall.

"God, I hate crowds." He muttered. His ears were pinned back, almost becoming hidden in his black hair. His tail swished twice before curling around my waist. I allowed him this time.

"Shire, I'm tired." I yawned. The food was sitting like a rock in my stomach. I had almost not eaten, remembering something about fairies and the Underhill and not eating their food. Shire had glared me into eating though, and once I had had one bite, I had to have the entire course.

"Of course. This way," He picked me up bridal style, carrying me through the stone halls with a brisk pace. The dress was thin, letting in the air that was brushing by us. Shire felt me shiver and hugged me closer.

We reached his room. It was a large room, only reachable by a stepladder. I blinked, trying to put two and two together. Shire gently explained that we were at the top of one of the towers, the center one, to be exact. He set me down briefly to undo the stepladder and then piggybacked me up into the room.

Warm colors met my eyes. Precious looking rugs were scattered across the floor, while tapestries that depicted almost everything hung on the circular walls. I spied one that had a partially naked woman on it, signed in the bottom corner. Shire followed my gaze as he pulled the ladder up and blushed.

"I left a while back, when I was a teenager. Right after I brought Alice to Ches…" I nodded slowly. I could barely stifle another yawn. Shire hugged me, showing me the bed. It was on the opposite side of the landing for the ladder. Almost hidden, actually.

Fluffy, like all the beds in the castle. Small, probably a twin, meant for one person in his teens or dorm living. The sheets were made of a smooth silk. I almost slid off, making Shire laugh.

"It helps if you don't have clothes on." Shire commented, pulling off his shoes and socks. I shrugged.

"Do you at least have something I can borrow to sleep in?" He chuckled, handing me a cotton dress shirt. I took it and somehow managed to get the dress off, making Shire laugh harder.

"You do have a hard time with dressy stuff, don't you?" He asked. I glanced at him, and instantly regretted it.

His pale skin was pulled taut over his lean muscles, tempting the eye to look lower. A thin trail of curly black hair started at his belly button. It disappeared into his pants. I snapped my head back around, finally figuring out how to get rid of the dress. I heard a small noise, like a belt being undone, and the thud as it hit the floor. I took a shuddering breath as I pulled the dress off over my head, hoping about two things. One, that I wouldn't kill the dress, and two: that Shire wouldn't spy me in my skivvies.

"Blue? Have you not seen the colors around you? Pah. Try these." His hand appeared in front of me, dangling a pair of red panties very similar to mine. I glanced over my shoulder. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, left forearm missing, his grin on his face. I snatched the panties off of his fingers, glaring at him.

"Thank you very much, but I prefer the cooler colors." I nodded curtly as I quickly changed underwear and pulled on his shirt. I pulled my hair out of it's twist and let it hang down my back. It still felt silky smooth. I glanced in a small mirror that was sitting on Shire's bedside table. My makeup was gone. I put my hands up to take off the garnet, but was stopped by Shire. He was completely behind me this time, not just his hands.

"Don't… It shows that you are mine. This is my stone, fashioned from my heart." I paled and looked at him.

"Fashioned from where?" I asked. Shire rolled his eyes.

"It's a common thing, in the kingdom. The men, especially royals, go to the Seeress at the edge of the kingdom. She tells them if they are going to last with the girl they're seeing, and then fashions him a Heart Gem. Only a small piece is taken, just enough to show that you are mine and no one shall touch you." He brushed some hair out of my face. "Let's sleep, shall we?" I nodded once, stifling another yawn. He pulled me over to his bed, letting me lie down first. I scooted over to make room for him.

"I chose this tower because of the view." Shire rambled, petting my hair. I made sure that the windows were facing the right ways, though. The sun rises right in front of us, giving a pretty view when you first wake up. I'll show you my spot tomorrow, you'll love it. And then the sun sets behind us, filling the room with the last of the day's light. You can also watch the moon rise. Mother sculpted it just for her boys." He choked up, his hand pausing briefly. "She made it so it looked like it was grinning a third of the year for me, for Father she made the shadows look like a mouse sleeping on a wheel of cheese. And for Ches, the little bastard, she made it look like a cat's eye." His voice trailed off, his hand slowing in it's pattern of petting. I heard him yawn once before his breathing deepened. I smiled, cuddling closer to him. His tail wrapped around one of my legs. I followed him into unconsciousness.


	16. Chapter 16

Just as Shire had said, the sun woke me up bright and early the next morning. Shire was still asleep, his face nestled in my hair. He only stirred when I shifted. His eyes opened, revealing bleary deep green irises. His pupils were full, almost taking up all of the space in his iris. I smiled at him. I had a thing for watching eyes dilate. His slowly did, returning to a normal size and their normal oblong shape.

"Morning," I said. He smiled back at me and nodded. He stretched, showing me the muscles I had only peeked at last night. They rippled under his skin as he relaxed.

"Hungry?" Shire's voice was gruff, and I could see a little bit of five o'clock shadow. I nodded my agreement. My stomach made it apparent too. We both laughed. I slid out of the bed, taking in the room as Shire did his routine. The walls were made out of the same stone that made up the rest of the castle. The floor was done in ebony, or at least the bits I could see were. The carpets ranged in fullness and designs, going from a shag carpet to a thin bare runner. Most of the designs had a tribal feeling about them. They were done in black and placed on red, orange, and purple backgrounds. Several of the tapestries hanging on the walls matched them.

I decided that it was best to get dressed, possibly a shower and other freshening things. Shire wasn't there, which didn't surprise me. I had lost track of him. Smiling to myself, I glanced in the mirror. The garnet caught the rising sun, making it seem full of life.

"It's even warm." I mused, touching it gently. I hadn't liked the idea before, but I was warming up to it. I didn't want to be a princess or stuck in a magical kingdom forever. I had actually missed my home when I first came into this crazy world. I convinced myself it was all just a really long dream, and I would wake up to my teacher yelling at me for falling asleep. I wasn't so sure now.

The blast of water snapped me out of my trance. I glanced around, trying to find where the noise was coming from. One of the tapestries on the wall, patterned with a nice looking waterfall, was moving ever so gently. I stepped over to it. I noted that it was covering a flat piece of wall. Curious, I moved the weaving aside. Behind it was a small archway that led to a marble room. I stepped in, listening to the spray of water get louder.

Shire was relaxing in a large claw footed tub, his eyes closed and ears up. I made my way in slowly, taking in the bathroom.

Marble floor, granite counter that shone in the light. The tub itself was probably made out of ivory, the curtain over the large window of the finest silk. Nothing surprised me a lot anymore, in this place.

"Care to join me?" He asked. His voice was low, soft. I glanced at him. "I won't try anything, I promise." He shifted, making room for me. I noticed the bubbles.

"You take-" I started. He opened one eye, shocking me into silence. It was the pure golden that he had when he was angry or upset. His pupil was just a slit. I undressed when it slid close. The water was warm against my skin. I crossed my legs and turned around, making sure the bubbles hid my chest as I looked at him.

It looked like he was taking up the entire tub, but he wasn't. His chest rose and fell in a controlled way. I watched as the bubbles popped and moved around his body.

"Shire…" I murmured. I had kept the necklace on, and now my fingers found it in a nervous motion.

"There are side effects of making a Heart Gem." He whispered. He sounded strained. "One of them is being absolute weakness for a few days." I bit my lip. He was in pain. I couldn't help, that I knew of.

"You haven't fully accepted me yet, Ashton…" Shire continued. "That's why I sound so horrible. The Heart Gems are only meant to be given to people that unconditionally love each other, who would never leave for any reason unless it was death. Did I make a mistake?" I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear the last part or not. I shifted, sitting beside him in the large tub. I wrapped an arm around his stomach, letting the water wash over us both. He opened one eye again, looking at me with a strange impassive glow in his face.

"I don't think you did… You love me, that's apparent." I murmured. I laid my head on his damp shoulder, trying to think of rhymes or a joke. "And you really don't try to keep that fact transparent." A small smirk played at his lips as he closed his eye again. I could feel his pulse; it was rapid and uneven.

"Ashton…" He murmured. "Do you accept me as your one and only love? Do you promise not to leave me, for any reason except death? Do you wish to spend every day with me, as I do with you?" Both of his golden eyes stared into mine, willing me to say yes.

"This sounds a lot like marriage." I joked. He looked pained for a second. "I-…of course I do, Shire." My voice ended softly, trailing off. He took a pained breath of air, just as my garnet began to glow. An eery voice filled the small room.

_Accepted once, and accepted twice, forever shall the bond of love be your vice._ It ended with a cackle, sending goosebumps up my arms. Shire panted for a moment, leaning forward and clutching at his bare chest. His nails were longer, more claw like. It worried me.

"Shire?" I asked, rubbing his back. My chest felt tight, but I wouldn't let him see that. He was in more pain than I was.

"Fine. I-I-I am fine." His breathing was still heavy and labored. He managed to lean back a little, allowing me to see a shiny red scar on his chest, right above his heart. I looked at it quizically. "Shows I made a Gem." He muttered. Sweat beaded on his forehead, making his damp hair stick to it. He seemed pale.

"Will you be okay by yourself for a moment? I swear, I'll be right back." He nodded slowly, slipping into the water a little bit as I stood up. I found a towel and quickly dried off.

"Second drawer, by the bed." He managed to say before I left the room. "Clothes for you." I smiled at him.

"Shh… I'll be right back. Try and relax." I prayed that he would be okay. A weak nod.

Just as he had said, there were clothes waiting for me in the second drawer. I pulled on a black sundress and found some sandals underneath his bed. I slid them on and quickly undid the ladder, leaving it down for easy return. I hurried through the castle. I found myself in a courtyard. I realized I was lost, again.

"What is it, young one?" The make up artist woman asked. I noticed that her ears were docked, as was her tail.

"Shire's in pain and I need to find someone to help." I explained quickly about the Heart Gem and how I had accepted him and how he had only gotten worse. She nodded.

"Follow." Her voice was gruff. She left the courtyard, assuming I would be following her. I ran after her; for a such a large woman, she was surprisingly fast. She led me to a long hall, with doors on both sides. Small windows were inlaid on the wood, allowing the passerbys to look in. She escorted me to a single door, down towards the end of the hall. She opened it and let me go in. The door closed behind me.

The small room was dark and smelled like mold. A raspy breath broke the heavy silence.

"Who comes seeking Jaberwocky?" It slithered around the confined space, sending shivers up my spine.

"I do. My name is Ashton. Shire brought me here, but I need your help." Before I could go on, two bright points of light appeared across from me. One was red, the other purple. A candle started to burn, revealing a shrouded figure.

"The Prince has made a mistake." A bony finger pointed itself at me. A wicked looking claw gleamed on the end. The skin seemed scaly too. "He has hastly made a Heart Gem, even though he doubts your love." The person pronounced the _s_'s sharply, extending them like a hiss. Another candle lit itself as the person removed his hood.

He wasn't a person. His skin was actually scales, black and shimmering a venomous green in the light. His snout was slender and shaped like a triangle. He was taller than I was, with jointed legs like most animals. He snorted once, sending out tendrils of purple fire that looked eletric.

"But I am sworn to help the royals… Show me to the boy." The door slammed open, letting light flood the room. He snapped the hood back up, and I realized that he was allergic to the light. The make up artist, who I dubbed Helga in my head, was still standing there. She led me and Jaberwocky back to Shire's room. Half way up the tower, we heard a scream.

"Shire!" I exclaimed. I hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time. I was scared. I didn't want him in pain. Jaberwocky passed me, his longer legs carrying him up the stairs with grace and power. Helga was taking her sweet time.

Shire was still in the bathroom. I skidded to a halt, watching as Jaberwocky poked and prodded his pale body.

"Error… Mistake… Seeress not to trust… Wanted this…" The reptile-man muttered. Shire grimaced as the claws petted his fresh scar. "Evil magic… Another curse." Jaberwocky snorted into his hand, letting a flameing ball of goop settle. I made a face.

"Will that help?" I asked. Helga put a hand on my shoulder.

"Lets me see the caster." Jaberwocky explained, rubbing it on Shire's chest. Another scream filled the room. I closed my eyes, turning into Helga's sturdy body. It slowly died down, being replaced with a familiar voice.

_"But Ches has to have the throne! Is there something I can do?" _

"Jezebella!" I exclaimed. The sound bite continued.

_"The oldest comes in soon for a Heart Gem… Very delicate process. One small mistake, and he is in pain."_ Cackles filled the air. It was the same cackle that I had heard before. _"Girl from Other won't fully accept him. Means the pain will be intense and horrible._" Jezebella laughed. The sounds ended. Jaberwocky stared at me with his odd eyes. The inner eyelids blinked.

"Well?"

"Jezebella is the person that turned us into the King, hoping that Shire would be killed for leaving… I'm assuming the other voice is the Seer." Jaberwocky nodded slowly. Helga spoke up.

"So you and Tea Man go and confront her."


	17. Chapter 17

Hatter did not take kindly to being called Tea Man, or being dragged away from his job. He glared at Jaberwocky as we left the castle.

"I hate that…thing!" Hatter yelled a little while later. I pulled Shire's traveling cloak tighter around me. It was heavy, made for the winter, and big on me. I had the hood up, just to save my black hair from too much wind. We were travelling at a brisk pace.

We met up with the stable hands, who lended us two horses. The horses whined about carrying a person a piece, but did their job. Hatter led the way to the Seeress' hut.

The horses stopped just after the sun set. I patted mine on the nose.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Hatter sniffed the air, scanning the area with his eyes.

"We go no closer while the sun is down. You travel on foot from here." My horse replied, laying down. I slid off, being careful not to catch my clothes on the saddle. Hatter's horse just bucked him off, letting him land in a patch of grass. I helped him up, and then traveled deeper into the dense forest.

Hatter led the way, moving the branches out of the way as we continued on. Shire's cloak dragged on the ground. It worried me. I knew he probably wouldn't mind, but it was made out of a thick wool and silky material. I pulled it up over my shoulders more. I hoped that would help.

"When we get to the hut, let me do the talking." Hatter instructed. I nodded slowly, fingering the necklace. He rolled his eyes and fixed his hat. "And don't do that. She'll know instantly that it's you." I forced my hand back down to my side.

"Hatter, won't she know it's me anyway? I mean, I'm wearing the necklace, and I don't have ears or anything!" Hatter looked at me, his milky brown eyes torn.

"Probably. Which is why I didn't want you coming." He looked away at the last part, continuing on down the small path. I followed after him. He liked me, Shire liked me, I liked both of them. It made our friendship kind of awkward. We finally reached the small hut, located in a little clearing that was overrun with weeds and roots. Large stones were cleared and led up to the door. Hatter stepped on one, holding a hand up to tell me to stay back.

"Mocking Turtle!" Hatter yelled, still standing on the first stone. "I know you're there. I've come to confront you about Shire and Jezebella!" A sad voice then eminated from around us.

"You know my price, Alisah." It said. Hatter growled. His body jerked once, hand flying up to grab the tie of Shire's cloak. He yanked it off of me, also pulling me forward onto the first stone. He pushed me onto the second one. It fell away as soon as I stepped on it, sending me crashing into darkness. Before I was too far gone, I heard Hatter say something.

"Names have power, and I'm sorry!"


	18. Chapter 18

I landed on a hard chair. I let out a cry of pain and instantly regretted it. I took a deep breath of the musty air. Dust coated my throat. I coughed, trying to clear it. A small candle light, revealing cow hooves with a match. I jumped, letting out another squeak. More dust coated my mouth.

"Ah, there's the lucky lady." The creature said. I glared into the dim light. I saw the gleam of a turtle shell. The Seeress moved into the light, revealing a cow head.

"I know what you did to Shire. I know you were hired by Jezebella to mess up in making the Heart Gem. He's in a lot of pain! I've accepted him, and it's only gotten worse!" The Seeress snorted. She stood up and began to move around, making tea carefully with her hooves. I watched her movements, making sure she didn't put anything unsavory into the cups.

"Sugar? Honey?"

"No thank you. Now tell me how to fix Shire." I said, watching her intently. Her hooves were moving the normal house hold items with extreme skill. She sat the tray down on the table, her intelligent brown eyes staring into mine. Tears were threatening to spill over.

"Would you like to know why I am stuck here, all alone and forced to see the future for a living?" She asked. I let out a haughty breath.

"All I want to know is why Shire is in pain, and how to fix it."

"Jaberwocky sent you."

"Yes. Now tell me how to fix Shire." I shouted, getting fed up. She took her cup in her hoof and took a sip.

"It's a very complicated thing, the Heart Gem is." I growled and yanked off the necklace.

"This!" I said, shoving it into her face. "This is what's making Shire hurt. Fix it! You're the one that did it! I know Jezebella, the little slut that wants Ches, hired you! Don't deny it! You slipped up in making it! We heard it all! Magic leaves residue and Jaberwocky can call it forth!" My voice continued to gain volume, until I was almost screaming. I hit the tray, sending the tea and all of it's contents to the ground. I heard some of the things shatter. Mock Turtle looked at me, her brown eyes swimming with emotions I didn't quite understand. She stood up, towering above me. She, unlike most of the people I had met, was not human like at all. The head was of a cow, as were her hands and feet. Her main body was composed of a turtle shell.

"Names have power!" She boomed back. "Someone found my name and used it against me! I had to make that mistake!"

"Lies!" I shouted, shaking the necklace in her face again. "You didn't have to! Now fix it, before I have the entire army eating Mock Turtle Soup for their meals!" Her eyes widened, flashing into an auburn color for a quick moment. A feather fell onto the table. It was a light brown, mixed with gold and white. We both stared at it. Before I could say anything, the roof was ripped away. Moonlight flooded into the dusty and dank room. The Gryphon was flying right above me. He swooped down, attacking the Mock Turtle with his beak. Once she was down, he pulled a small chain out from her shell. The Gryphon nodded at me, and then to his back. I climbed on to it, taking the necklace in the process. This one had a gem that looked exactly the same in size and shape, except for the fact that it was clearer. I wrapped my hand around it. A warm spot grew on my palm. When I looked at it again, blood coated my palm.

"Gryphon, we need to pick up Hatter." The majestic beast nodded, swooping back down into the clearing. Hatter sat there, head in his hands.

"Alisah! Get on!" I said. His name caught his attention. A stupid grin broke over his face as he sat behind me.

"Oh, Ashton! Did you get the necklace?" I nodded at his inquiry. He wrapped his arms around me, quickly fastening the new Heart Gem on my neck. My bloody hands gripped the Gryphon's feathers.

"Take us back to the castle, Gryphon. Middle tower, east window." I swear the beast smiled as we flew, the rising sun warming our backs.

Shire was laying in the bed, the silk sheets covering him from the waist down. Helga and Jaberwocky were still there, along with the King and Ches. Alice was standing by the other window, her fingers reaching up to her face when I jumped through the window. Hatter followed behind me, Shire's cloak over his arm.

"I have it!" I said, pulling the bloody gem away from my skin for a moment. Ches looked at me, something in his eyes. It seemed like…

"Oh, Ashton!" The younger prince cried, running over to me. I pushed him away from me.

"Jaberwocky…?" I asked, trying to fend him off. Hatter came over and picked the young man up. Alice stared at me with impassive eyes that screamed hate.

"Two brothers, close at heart. Jezebella yearns for the younger, you for the older. A slip of the finger while weaving the spell creates a Heart Gem for the Other." He explained. I tried to put two and two together in my head.

"So when the Mock Turtle used Shire's heart, she ended up making a Heart Gem, intended for me, from Ches's heart?" I asked for clarification. Helga nodded.

"Mock did not tell Jezebella this. She would've had served the turtle as a meal for the entire outskirts." She stated.

"But I accepted Shire! Not Ches! Why is he acting like this?" I noticed Alice move towards the trapdoor. "You!" She stopped, and then bolted for it. Luckily, Jaberwocky slammed the door shut with a flick of his scaly wrist.

"I did nothing!" Her clipped English accent bothered me. Jaberwocky stood from his spot, his odd eyes staring into hers.

"I taught you how to brew potions to confound and startle. I taught you the recipie for loving and hatred. You stole her personality along with Jezebella to wreck havoc upon our kingdom. You are working with the Queens." His accusation seemed spot on. I envied him for a brief second.

I rushed over to Shire's bed. His scar was bleeding lightly. I picked up one of his used shirts, pressing it to the wound.

"Oh, Shire… I love you…" I murmured, kissing him gently. His lips were cool against mine. A tear slid down my cheek. Jaberwocky gasped, recoiling from my general area. Alice let out a squeak. I broke away, feeling an intense heat on my sternum. I glanced at my necklace. The bleeding from the gem had stopped. In fact, there were no stains. A warm red light was slowly eminating from it. The fake necklace, tucked away in a pocket of my dress, floated out. I watched as the garnet cracked, shattering into red dust. A rattling breath came from Shire's lips. It reminded me of the last breath of a person before they died. His eyes snapped open, golden irises shimmering in the light. Once again, the Mock Turtle's voice filled the room.

_True love bright, a couple's might. Let this love forever be sealed in this gem. _

"Shire!" I exclaimed, running my hands over his body to find a pulse. It took me a moment, but I finally found one. It was weak and spaced out. I gulped and looked at Jaberwocky. The King pulled me to my feet.

"He needs to rest. Come, I have much to talk to you about."

"What about me?" Hatter grunted, still struggling with the infatuated younger prince. Jaberwocky smiled, showing his yellowed fangs.

"A love potion. Alice wanted to kill this one, but had no reason to." I glared at the blonde girl.

"I'm the one to save this world!" Alice shouted. "I'm the one that defeats the Queens and sets this right!" Her voice was broken. She was insane. I wasn't the only one to notice. Helga restrained the first girl from the Other.

"Take her down to the Room." The King instructed grimly. He looked at me, his golden eyes warm. "Jaberwocky shall work with Shire. He should be fine in a few days." I heard Hatter mutter something about Ches being out of his mind and it wearing off as the King guided me down the stairs. I looked at my necklace one last time. It was a ruby, and not a garnet. I smiled as my fingers met the warm stone.


	19. Chapter 19

Shire's daddy took me to the War Room, where I met the generals of the Rhymier Army. They kept quiet throughout the entire meeting. The King was mainly addressing me.

"Ashton, we need your help. You see, the Queens are going to wage a war across the rest of the Wonderland." I nodded at his statement.

"They wanted to capture me so I could win the war for them. I don't understand how I can win it for anyone though. I'm just a girl." It was the truth. The King nodded.

"I understand. However, you're missing an important part of the puzzle." He cleared his throat before going on. The generals shifted uneasily on the edge of my vision. "It is prophecized that a girl from the Other shall free us all from the Queens' wrath by defeating them in battle with the Vorpal Blade. The only issue is that we have two girls from the Other on our hands, and the Vorpal Blade is nowhere to be found. We suspect that it is in the hands of the one of our neighboring kingdoms, but have no idea if it is there or not. A page is currently investigating on that matter."

"Shire said something when I first met him… It was part of a poem or something, I think…" I tried to think of it. "_If I or she should chance to be/Involved in this affair,/He trusts to you to set them free,/Exactly as we were._" I recited. The King paled.

"That is part of the prophecy." A general stated. The King took the rest of the explination.

"Shire actually helped with the Seeing. That was his part. The she he refers to is the One, the affair being the war. _He trusts to you to set them free_ refers to me, along with the rest of the rulers. I'm sure you get the last part." I nodded slowly. It really was starting to make some sense.

"I still don't understand how I'm supposed to win the war, though. You said it yourself that there are two girls from the Other here now. How do we know there won't be more? Or which one really is the One?" The King laughed.

"You broke Shire's curse, along with Alisah's. We believe that you are the One."

"But that doesn't mean anything!" I shouted. "Harry Potter became the One because the villian chose him! There was another person that was just as equally qualified, but Voldemort chose Harry." They gave me blank looks. "Right…" I muttered. "Different world, never heard of the books…"

"Regardless of this Harry person, we believe you are the One. You broke the curses, faced Mock Turtle and stood your ground, you saved Shire-"

"Only because I-!" I cut my sentence short. The general that was talking stopped and looked at me.

"Only because you what?" He asked. His voice was cold, drawling.

_Exactly, you ninny! I only saved Shire because…_

"Because I love him." I finished. My voice was tenser than I wanted it to be. I didn't want to say it. I didn't know if it was true or not. I pulled out my necklace that had been tucked underneath my dress.

"I saved Shire for this. I stood against the Mock Turtle who had been hired by Jezebella to kill Shire. I was saved by the Griffon, almost raped by a Knight of the Queens, traveled to this kingdom to save your world so I can go back to mine." Oh, God, I was monolouging my travels. "I was drugged, almost sexed up on many an occasion, and have broken two curses."

"And that proves that you are the One." Another general stated. My mouth turned into a grim line. Man, I really sucked at trying to get myself out of trouble.

"You don't know that!" I shouted again. I stamped my foot.

"Then why did you do all of those things?"

"Because I want to go home, and this is the only way I know how."

"By using our Prince who has devoted his entire being to you?" I stopped at the third general's statement. I looked at the generals sitting before me. The speaker was sitting in the middle, short hair barely hiding their face. They looked up, and I was staring into a face that was identical to mine.

"…No." I murmured. "Mom… It can't be you…." My vision clouded and the sounds around me became fuzzy and inaudible. I felt my entire body relax, and my head crack against the floor as I fell.

I woke up in Shire's room. The sun had set fully, the moon peaking up over mountains and tall trees. I sniffled and tried to sit up. A sharp pain split through my head. I let out a squeak. A warm arm wrapped itself around me.

"I heard what happened." Shire's voice was almost unrecognizable. I had to look at him to make sure. His eyes were a pure gold, pupils taking up most of the colored space. I cuddled against him gently. I didn't like being in pain.

"Jaberwocky attended to you. You're mostly healed." Shire continued. His voice was rough and low.

"How about you?" I asked, gently running a hand over his shiny new scar. He shook his head.

"My damage was a lot worse. I almost died. If it hadn't been for you getting Jaberwocky,"

"I didn't get him. Helga led me to him."

"Helga?"

"The make up artist lady." I explained how I had dubbed her Helga, since I didn't know her real name. Shire chuckled lightly.

"Her name is Dinah. She has two kids that go by the name of Snow and Kitty." Shire told me. He reclined against some stacked pillows, holding me close. I wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Shire, what happened to me?" I asked. "I remember seeing my mom, who looks exactly like me. I think the generals looked familiar to me too, from my world." Shire listened to me.

"I don't know. I wish I did." I grimaced at his opinion and cuddled closer.

"I don't like not knowing."

"I know." I listened to his steady heartbeat. It was rather weak, just a tad, but it was steady. I opened my mouth to ask about the Heart Gems again, but he just hushed me.

"We both need some more rest, Ashton." My Prince reasoned. "Sleep. I'll answer your questions when all is well."

"I'm holding you to that." I muttered, closing my eyes involuntarily. Sleep washed over me in a blissful way.

My dream that night was strange. I was looking down at myself, laying in a hospital bed. I was hooked up to a bunch of different machines: one to monitor my heart rate, blood pressure, and another that a nurse was making notes and adjustments on. I was on a venilator too. _Why would I need help breathing?_ I wondered, glancing around the rest of the room.

It was a typical hospital room. Even the smell was there. My mother sat by my bed side with my best friends, two boys named Elijah and Mohkave. Mohkave's usually tanned skin seemed pale, and Elijah looked livid. My guidance counselor came in then, whispering in hushed tones to my mother. I couldn't hear a thing.

Birds woke me up, along with the sound of running water. Shire wasn't in bed. I freaked out for a moment. I shakily stood up and stumbled to the bathroom. Shire was relaxing in the bath tub, bubbles almost flowing over the edge. His scar didn't look nearly as aggravated as it had last night.

He smiled at me and shifted.

"Join me?" He murmured. His voice still sounded horrible. I turned around and stripped. I made sure he had his eyes closed as I sank into the warm water. I forgot how big the tub was.

"I had a weird dream last night." I stated. Shire shifted again, grabbing the bar of soap and beginning to work some on his hands. I continued. "My mom was there, with my two best friends. They kinda look like you and Hatter. And then my guidance counselor came in. Now that I think about it, she kinda looks like Caterpillar." I mused. Shire was washing my back as I rambled. I told him all about it: the sterile smell of the hospital, my mother's worried face. He listened quietly. When I glanced back at him I noted that his face was strained.

"Shire?"

"Hm?" He hummed. His face didn't relax.

"You okay?" He shook his head quickly, like he was clearing his thoughts.

"Yes, sorry. Just got lost there for a moment." He gave me his trademarked grin. I smiled back.

We finished washing and dried each other off. I pulled on Shire's fluffy robe after he basically threatened me to wear it. I laid down on the bed and watched as he pulled his pants and shirt on.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I'm still tired. Where are you going?" I asked in return.

"Father wants me to debrief to the generals. That, and I need to finish checking over something. I'll be back soon, I promise." He kissed my forehead. Before he vanished, I stopped him.

"Can I have some paper? And preferably an artist's pencil?" I asked. He smiled at me and nodded.

"Be right back." I nodded as he disappeared. I was worried. What happened to me? Did I really just vanish? Or was this some weird little dream I had come up with cause I'm going insane? I shook my head to clear the thoughts.

"Meh, I hate being a teenage girl." I stated to no one. I walked over to one of the windows and leaned on the large ledge, looking out over the castle's roof. Shire's tower was right in the middle, giving it the best view. Small birds flitted through the treetops, and the people down in the common area looked like ants.

"Here you go," Shire stated. I jumped.

"I hate when you do that."

"Well it's not like I have an obvious popping noise before I appear." Shire replied, handing me the things I asked for. "May I ask what you need these for?"

"I just wanted to draw." He smiled at me and ruffled my hair before disappearing again. I settled down on the bed and sketched. I drew Mohkave and Elijah and my guidance councilor. On a separate sheet I drew Hatter and Shire and Caterpillar. I compared them. Both sets of people seemed familiar. I bit my lip and tried to figure it out.

"Alright, let's say my theory is right." I mused. "Mohkave is Shire, Elijah is Hatter, and Caterpillar is Miss Monarch. Who would the King, Ches, and all the others be?" I pondered it. My theory was this: Maybe my dream was actually real. Maybe I was in a coma. If that was true, then this world would be a figment of my imagination, based off of the things that were close to me in my life. Mohkave acted like a royal pain, but he was a good guy that always had a smile and joked around. Elijah had a thing for drinks. Miss Monarch wanted to help you through your problems but she did so in a complicated manner. It reminded me of Shire, Hatter, and Caterpillar.

I couldn't place anybody else. I thought about things, like a toy or a favorite book or something, but came up blank on that end too.

"Maybe the people I'm close to here are based off of people in my real life, if my theory is correct."

"What are you muttering about?" Jaberwocky's reptilian voice slid over the walls. Once again, I jumped at the visitor.

"I had a weird dream last night." And I explained it, and my theory, to the lizard-man. He had come up through the trap door to check on me. As I explained, he prodded at my head and body.

"Interesting. They say that if you die in a dream, you actually do die." He mused. I nodded.

"I don't know if I was dead or not though. I was just in a hospital room, hooked up to a breathing machine and monitors." Jaberwocky shrugged and sat down in a shadow. He pulled off his hood and looked at me with his odd eyes.

"Shire has found you, he is real. But the Other is just as real. Which will you choose?" I looked at him. For the first time, I was able to make out a great deal of details. His eyes were a perfect almond shape, larger than what humans have. Two small horns protruded from his skull, curling under just a little bit. His black scales had more colors in it than acid green. I saw deep purples, a subtle red, and quite a few others. His body was actually quite muscular, but his fingers were long and then. His snout had a small horn on it, a few inches before the tip. A couple of his teeth hung out over his bottom jaw.

"I don't know." I replied, looking over him. A wicked grin appeared on his face.

"I can help. The People want you to be the One, but you're doubting it. We have no idea where the Vorpal is either. But I know. I know all." Jaberwocky was talking in a hushed tone that reminded me of a cult leader. "I can train you in the ways of magic, to find and curse. Not only shall the Queens' blood be spilt by the Blade, but their souls crushed by magic so we be free forever."

It was tempting.

"But you would have to stay here. Magic not accepted in Other. Destroys the person." He curled his talon like hands into a fist. "Choose."

An easier fight, or a harder fight. I was becoming confused on which world was real. I had no idea where to go now. And Jaberwocky had told me the cost up front.

"What sort of magic?" I wondered. Jaberwocky chuckled.

"Magic of my people. Control of the elements, purging of poisons, tracking methods. Potions and _thirkuir_, alchemy, as your people call it. I can teach you the ways of _chikohk_, voodoo in the Other." I heard footsteps coming up the open trap door. It sounded like Shire.

"I'll do it." I had no idea which world was real. I had no idea if Jaberwocky was telling me the truth. I still didn't know if I loved Shire. I knew I wanted to kill the Queens' though.


	20. Chapter 20

Shire was not impressed that I was going to be taking lessons from Jaberwocky. He said that there was a reason they kept him locked up in the smallest and dankest room in the Medical Hall. I shrugged.

"I don't know anymore, Shire. If it means that I can beat the Queens' more easily, I'm willing to take the chance." I stated. He growled at the sitting lizardman, who had shrunk further back into the shadows. Still snarling to himself, Shire sat down on the bed, next to the scattered pages that I had drawn on. He picked them up, his growl dying in his throat. Jaberwocky looked at me.

_Tomorrow, when Prince goes to meeting. Come to Medical Hall. I shall send an escort._ His voice sounded in my head. I blinked. He was gone.

"Ashton…?" Shire murmured. I turned to look at him. His face was mostly blank, minus the confused little furrow of his eyebrows.

"Hm?"

"Who are these people? And your notes?" I slapped myself mentally. I had forgotten about the notes I jotted down about my theory.

"Those people are the ones from the dream I told you about."

"And the notes?"

"Are on my theory. I don't know how I got here, so my dream might be true. I was just making comparisons." I tried to explain. Shire nodded slowly. He shook his head once, clearing his thoughts. He gave me a tired smile.

"Father wants us to have dinner with him today. I brought a dress with me, from Dinah." He slid a long box out from behind his back. I was convinced that he had the magical mallet space that anime fans talked about. I set it on the ground and pulled off the top.

The dress was a deep blue and had no straps. The bust wrapped around the back and over the waist, creating an effective sash to go along with it. A broach held the bust up, and a similar one pinned the sash to the side of the dress. The skirt was simple: no ruffles or pins. It poofed out a little and fell to the floor. I tugged it on, admiring the way it molded to my body. Shire smiled at me as I spun around. He handed me my Mary Janes to put on. I made a face at them.

"I really hate those shoes." Shire rolled his eyes.

"Put them on. I'm starving." Smiling, I did so. Shire raised an eyebrow as I hopped around on one foot to put the devil shoes on. Once I was finished, my prince helped me do my hair up in a bun, much like Dinah did at the feast. He adjusted my necklace so it hung right on my sternum. Smiling, he offered his arm. I took it gently, and we began to stroll the halls for a dinner meeting.

We were the last to arrive, it seemed. Everybody else was seated and chatting quietly amongst themselves. I saw a quick movement in the shadows. I glanced over, but saw nothing. Shire tugged me along.

"Sorry, Father. Ashton got caught up in drawings." He excused both of us as I sat down. Ches' eyes were still kinda hazy when he looked at me. The King laughed at Shire's apology.

"My boy, this king can wait for his dinner if the One is busy." Shire smiled at his father's statement. I tried to, but it seemed pained on my face. Dee and Dum served us the food. I thanked them with another forced smile. They gave me a wink in return.

As always, the food was delicious. The King joked with Shire, trying to discover more about what happened while he was gone. He also tried to get me to open up about the Other.

"I don't really know how to describe it." I glanced at Alice. Sure, she was insane, but didn't she still remember? She had been here for longer than me, so why hadn't the King asked her? Unless…

"Maybe Alice could help me?" I suggested. The blonde girl looked at me, her big blue eyes full of an emotion that I didn't know. It almost burned just looking at her. Silence was what I got in return.

"Ah, but the Other must've changed so much. When Alice came, she claimed that it was 1865 when she came to us." Ches stated icily. I gave him a look. "What season was it when you came?"

"It was spring, just about to be summer." Shire leaned over to me after my statement.

"He means what year."

"Oh… It was 2010." I replied. My voice dropped. Alice came in 1865. I came here in 2010. My stomach fell. I glanced at the king. "May I ask how long Alice has been here? In your time?" The King thought about it.

"Well, she came to us three years ago, only a few seasons after the Queens' took absolute power." My stomach dropped even farther. If 1865 from 2010 in my years was only three to them, what could be going on…?

"Shire, how long have I been here?" I was scared. My friends could be growing old and dying without me. It was time for my prince to think.

"Let's see…. You claim you only spent one night outside of the Glass… Then after that you spent two days in the Castle…" He murmured all of the dates to himself. I didn't realize that I had been here for that long. Finally he snapped his fingers. "Almost half a year." I did the math in my head. 145 years equaled 3 years to Wonderland. If my math was correct, I had lost 24 years in my real life. My face paled. I felt sick. I stood abruptly, shocking the others.

"Excuse me." I said politely. I rushed out of the room, letting the heavy door slam behind me. I found an empty room and fell to all fours. The stinging pains on my hands let me know I scraped them. I heaved, feeling bad about loosing the good food. A hand rubbed my back. It felt scaley and rough.

"Easy…" Jaberwocky murmured. "It's tough, the realization." I glared at him.

"Tough?" I asked. My voice was broken and rough. I retched once more, cringing at the sour taste. "If I've only been here for half a year, then I've already lost 24 years in my world!" I shouted as loud as I could. Jaberwocky looked at me with his odd eyes. His hood was drawn up, hiding his face. I could see a vague smile on his reptilian lips.

"Time works differently, in all Others. You could not be loosing any time." Glaring at him, I summoned enough energy to snap his hood back. It was dark in the room, so he wouldn't be mad.

The fabric fell away from his face. I gasped as my eyes took him in. He didn't look quite so lizardy. His face was showing more of a human like side. His eyes were still large for his face, but that was out of shock. His horns were slightly hidden beneath a mess of black hair, that reflected colors like his scales did. His skin was an ivory color, hiding beneath a short five o'clock shadow that covered most of his jaw.

Before I could comment, he ripped his hood back over his face. I blinked for a moment. I was confused. His face was imprinted in my memory though. Jaberwocky pulled away from me, hissing what I thought were profanitites. I coughed a couple of times. My stomach was still churning with all of the new issues.

"Stupid _fanol_!" He shouted. I watched as he stood up, his robe parting for a second to reveal pale naked human legs. He turned away from me. A slender tail lashed out from his robe, swishing like a cat's for a moment.

"Jaberwocky?" He continued to rant in his language. I shakily stood up. In a split second, while I was balancing myself, Jaberwocky had me up against the wall. His human fingers dug into my bare shoulders.

"You will speak of my curse to no one. Not if you want me to teach you." I nodded. I could still see a bit of his pale skin behind the shadows of his hood. He dropped me, letting me land on my ass again. I looked up at him. His odd eyes were impassive.

"Why?" I asked. "Why do you look like a dragon and then a human?" He spun away from me, clawing at his face.

"Mask, mask. A mask I'm forced to wear." He muttered. I let him continue. "Can't tear it off. Hides my truth."

"Which one is the mask, Jaberwocky?" He screamed when I spoke his name.

"Skovajsa!" He shouted at me. A whimper escaped my lips. He looked at me, finally seeing me. "Skovajsa, it is my name." I watched as he cleared his throat. I could see his skin beginning to darken. It looked rougher, too. "Forgive me, _moxt ir_. I lose myself sometimes."

"Which one is the mask?" I asked again. He looked at me, a sad smile on his transforming face.

"This one." It came out distorted as snaps and cracks echoed through the room. His bones were breaking and reforming to elongate and create the Jaberwocky I was familiar with. His claws caressed his snout. A small sigh escaped his mouth, sending little flares of the purple electricity fire.

"Come, I'm sure your _shehad_ is looking for you." He helped me up. "But before…" One of his scaly hands covered my face for a second. "Close your eyes." He instructed.

I did so, not expecting the sudden blast of warmth. I stifled a yelp. It felt like my face was on fire. When he moved his hand away, I felt fresh and completely clean. Jaberwocky smiled at me before escorting me back to the dining hall.


	21. Chapter 21

Shire ran over to me, turning my head this way and that to make sure I was alright. I smiled at him.

"I'm fine, Shire. Just tired and confused." I murmured. He nodded, kissing my forehead.

"Alright. Would you like some dessert?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I would like some sleep. I have things to do tomorrow." This came as a shock at first. Apparently Ches overheard.

"Brother! I would never expect you to let your _cheri_ to learn from that thing!" Ches barked out a quick laugh. Alice was on edge, as usual. I glared at him.

"For your information, Ches-" Shire stopped me. His hand wrapped around my painted lips, shutting me up. He gave a quick smile at his family before popping away.

The experience was amazing. It felt like I had been blinked out of existence. I was oh so cold, but the warmth of Shire's hand kept me with him. We appeared back in his room.

Shire glared at me, pushing me back onto the bed. I fell with a soft plop. I watched as Shire roughly undid his tie, ripping his shirt a little in the process.

"Fuck!" He shouted. I was slightly scared. I had never seen him this worked up. Well, that one time when I was about to be raped, but that was under different circumstances. He pushed me against the bed, ripping my dress off of me. His lips found my neck, making me moan arbitrarly. His rough hands caressed my body.

"I'm taking that as a good fuck." I said, trying to wriggle my way out from under him. His hands clasped me close to his body though.

"Ashton, you don't understand." Shire almost whined. "Because I haven't bedded you, people are calling me weak. You have my Heart Gem and yet nothing has passed between us."

I looked into his eyes. They were a sad deep green.

"Shire, I don't work like that."

"But my chances of ending this war are in jepordy!" I could see tears welling in his eyes.

"I want to end this war as much as you do, trust me, but I can't just throw myself out there to every Joe, Buck, and James that claim that it'll help end the war." I brushed my fingers against his cheek. He nuzzled my hand.

"But I was so close before… I was so close to having you…" He sounded broken.

"Shire, look at me." I had to repeat myself several times before he did. I kissed him gently. I then began to explain why I couldn't fuck him. I did so in blunt terms to get through to him. He seemed a little better about it.

"If it makes you feel any better, or if you think it'll help you, then we can do more things in public."

"Like kissing and stuff?" I felt like I was talking to a five year old.

"Yes." I agreed, smiling a little. He gave a weak one in return. We stayed like that for a little while, just cuddling. Shire was breaking down. A side effect that was wearing off of me? Maybe. My thoughts strayed back to the earlier confused mess.

Maybe I was stuck here forever. Maybe I was staying in a coma while Mohkave and Elijah and my mom grew old and died without me. There would be so many things I missed then. I wouldn't have sex, I wouldn't get my first kiss. I would miss my high school graduation. I would miss college and everything fun about it. I wouldn't update my social networking sites or art sites. My blog followers would be left hanging. I would never know if I was crazy or not. I smiled vaguely at the thought.

"Shire, do you think I've finally gone around the bend?"

"Ashton, most of the best people are thought to be." He replied softly. A single tear slid down my cheek. We shifted on the bed, after shedding the rest of our clothes, and fell asleep.


End file.
